On Friday 4th September, we held a celebration event for the Drummond community to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the school.
Drummond CHS Centenary Celebration – Headteacher’s Remarks
It is a privilege as the current headteacher of Drummond Community High School to celebrate a truly remarkable milestone— the one hundredth anniversary of our school. The presence of former pupils, current pupils, past and present members of staff, families, friends and guests on the occasion of our centenary celebration reminded us that a school is so much more than bricks and mortar. It is a community, a shared story, and a place where generations of lives are shaped.
One hundred years. Think for a moment about what the world looked like when Bellevue Junior Secondary School or Bellevue Technical and Commercial School, as we once were known, first opened its doors and how it has changed. We know that many of our guests enjoyed a tour of the building to see first-hand how some of our learning spaces have changed beyond recognition, starting in a concourse that was once a double-height games hall. Chalkboards became whiteboards and more recently smartboards. Typewriters disappeared, replaced by computers, tablets and cloud technology.
But while technology has transformed how we learn, it has never replaced the importance of great teachers. My hope is that every one of us can remember a teacher who believed in us. A teacher who challenged us. A teacher who encouraged us. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to every member of staff who has contributed to Drummond’s journey through the last 100 years and I am delighted that so many of them were able to join us for our centenary celebration, connecting with each other and their former pupils.
Our school has lived through some of the most extraordinary periods in modern history. Bellevue Secondary was a relatively young school when the Second World War transformed lives across Scotland. I am very fortunate to have had access to the 1939 School Log Book and was particularly moved by the following excerpt:
“The hurried recall of the scholars noted under date 29th August and the evacuation referred to on 31st August were due to the imminence of war. On 3rd September a state of war developed between Britain and Germany. About a quarter of our pupils were evacuated to country districts under the Government scheme and others made private evacuation arrangements. Many subsequently returned however, and a census made by the staff at the beginning of October showed that over 800 pupils were at home and the number was increasing. Arrangements were therefore made to instruct those pupils in small groups not exceeding twelve in number. Various houses and halls were kindly lent for the purpose and about 500 pupils received some instruction under the scheme”.
How wonderful that in times of hardship, war, uncertainty and family separation & isolation, a sense of school community prevailed. That sense of community conveyed by the 1939 log book is the same sense of community that we feel in our school today and indeed it makes me proud that our staff show similar dedication to young people from around the world who have been impacted by conflict and have found a welcoming place to live and study in Edinburgh and at Drummond.
None of us will forget the COVID-19 pandemic. Our classrooms fell silent as learning moved into homes across the country. Teachers reinvented lessons overnight. Pupils demonstrated incredible resilience in extraordinary circumstances. Families became learning partners in ways none of us had imagined and it reminded us of something important: schools are not simply places where lessons happen. A school, Drummond, is a place of connection; a place of belonging; a place where we work together, support one another and become part of something bigger than ourselves.
As Headteacher, one of the privileges of this role is hearing the stories that former pupils bring back with them. Sometimes they remember exam results. More often, they remember relationships, school trips, winning—or losing—a match or competition, performing in a show. The memories that remain are rarely just about lessons; they are about people. I was delighted to welcome Mr Kevin Scott (former pupil) to share his memories and reflections on his own school days with our gathered guests and to hear their joyful reactions when Mr Scott’s recollections resonated with them. The achievements of our former pupils have become part of our collective history.
Schools are shaped over many years and as we celebrate our centenary, we do so with enormous pride in our past but we also look forward to the future. The next chapter of this school’s history is already being written by our current pupils —in every classroom, on every sports field, in every rehearsal room, laboratory, workshop and social space. The world that our young people will inherit is changing faster than ever before. Artificial intelligence, climate change, scientific innovation and global challenges will shape careers and communities in ways we cannot fully predict and yet our responsibility remains exactly what it was one hundred years ago: to prepare them not simply for the jobs of tomorrow, but for lives filled with purpose, citizenship and kindness. Perhaps fifty years from now, current Drummond pupils will return to Drummond to celebrate another milestone. They will tell stories of their own school days. They will remember the friends that they made, the challenges they overcame and the people who inspired them. The building may evolve. The curriculum will continue to change. Technology will undoubtedly transform education again and again. But our current school vision – a commitment to Nurturing Big Ambitions – is something that we hope will prevail.
Happy 100th Anniversary, Drummond!
Rachel Robertson (Headteacher)
Commemorative Artwork
As part of Drummond Community High School’s 100th anniversary celebrations, a group of seven pupils from the Art & Design Department recently took part in a special collaborative art residency with Edinburgh artist Ritchie Collins.
The pupils were selected for their creativity, commitment and artistic skills. Over two workshops in Ritchie’s studio, followed by a final session at school last Friday, they explored his creative process, experimented with colour, collage, pattern, and expressive mark-making, and worked together to develop a unique artwork inspired by Drummond, its history, and its place within Edinburgh.
Ritchie was incredibly generous in sharing his ideas, techniques and professional practice with the group, giving pupils a valuable opportunity to experience what it is like to work alongside a practising artist on a real creative brief. The pupils responded wonderfully and brought their own ideas, marks and energy to the final piece.
We were delighted to invite Jackie Reid (Service Director of Education and Skills and Chief Education Officer) to unveil the artwork:
Please watch this space for future details on how to purchase merchandise printed with the commemorative painting.
Drummond: A Century of Change
We are very grateful to former pupil Benjamin Sterratt for sharing his passion for the history of the school through his presentation ‘Drummond: A Century of Change‘:
Bellevue Memories
This fantastic booklet was put together in 1987 by staff, former students and current students of Drummond Community High School. The booklet tells the history of Drummond (formerly Bellevue) and is now available for all to see.