Music school to step into limelight on world stage

Published on Saturday 28 February 2009 10:11

A SPECIALIST music school, which counts Garbage star Shirley Manson as a former pupil, is hoping to attract top young musicians and dancers from across the world as it finally moves into a 21st century building.

The new Broughton High School – one of just five specialist music schools in Scotland – yesterday opened its doors to pupils following years of planning and a delay earlier this week due to last-minute glitches.

Now the Comely Bank school, which is the first secondary to be completed as part of the council's PPP2 project, is open it wants to "significantly expand" both its specialist music and dance programmes by attracting talented youngsters from across Scotland and the world. To date, it has seen pupils travel from as far afield as China, Peru and Russia specifically to study at the school, while 40 per cent of its specialist students come from outwith Edinburgh.

The school hopes the new facilities – which feature a theatre, recording studio and rehearsal rooms – will attract more talent to follow in the footsteps of Edinburgh-born Manson, world-renowned jazz saxophonist Tommy Smith and a host of other former pupils who have gone on to make music their career.

There are also plans to use the industry-standard theatre as a Fringe venue, focussing on youth theatre.

As well as the improved dance and music facilities, the new school also boasts a rooftop "art terrace" with views across the city for pupils to take outdoor classes in a range of subjects from geography to creative writing.

It also has an eco pond to give them the chance to learn "hands-on" about wildlife.

Headteacher Lesley Johnston said the new building was a far cry from the old 1970s building.

She said: "It was just no longer fit for 21st century education. This has been designed to be future proof. Hopefully it will be a big community resource while also inspiring our children to learn."

She added: "The whole school community has been involved in making decisions about how the school should look and what we should have in it.

"It has been a team effort but because I'm so close to it, it feels like my baby. I feel honoured to be the first head of this school."

The demolition of the old building will begin in April. The new building has a shelf life of 60 years and was built to accommodate 1200 pupils so it has room to expand from its current 900 roll.

Only 50 pupils are currently on the specialist music programme, while a further 93 youngsters are on the dance course, but this is now likely to increase.

The specialist students spend half their school time studying traditional subjects and the other half on either dance or music.

A council spokesman said: "We are looking to expand it significantly as the reputation grows.

"Eighty per cent of children specialising in music go onto specialist music colleges or other higher education, and the school hopes to build on this reputation."