Curriculum
Lessons at George Square were every much of the chalk and talk variety. We did no Scottish history after we left St Albans Road and other than learning about the island of Foula, (somewhat obscure it has to be said) no Scottish geography. While we studied 2 Shakespeare plays each year in senior school there was very little contemporary literature and none that I can remember by female writers. In modern languages, we were largely dependent on the class teacher to teach us the right pronunciation as there were no language labs etc although a trainee teacher from the appropriate country was recruited each year to help with conversational language. These were always young women except one never to be forgotten year when a German male assistant was recruited. Tall and blond, on his first day, when he processed into Prayers with the other male teachers, and audible murmur went round the assembled masses. Needless to say the following year all the language assistants were female.
Pamela Chesters née Beveridge (Class of 1974)
Moving to the senior school meant a blue or green overall for science and a white overall for cookery/laundry. Yes, I had to learn how to wash and iron a handkerchief.
Believe me, these two classes would have much in common with downstairs in Downton Abbey.
Jane Livingstone née Tupper (Class of 1969)
Learning Russian in a box room off the biology lab - I was the only pupil doing Russian - which also housed the school skeleton George). He used to emerge occasionally, without warning, from his cupboard and give the poor teacher hysterics. The aroma of dead dog fish colours my memories of learning Russian also!
Margaret Manson née Gray (Class of 1965)
We were always encouraged to take responsibility for planning and organising various events within the school calendar. Many of these were inter-house or club events, but when I was a senior, we were given the ultimate opportunity : running the school for the day. Staff were all present within the building – I think it allowed them some space to do exam marking – but all teaching was undertaken by S6 students , who also took on supervision of break and lunchtime, and dealt with any other issues which arose; the year I was involved, there was a fire drill! The day worked amazingly well. Students who were teaching classes took their responsibilities of preparation and presentation extremely seriously; I personally remember my first experience of studying TS Elliot, brilliantly delivered by a clever, thoughtful student in the year above me.
Jenifer Dunn née Malcolm (Class of 1961)
The most unique experience I recall of my time at GWLC began midway through 6th year, when we were all deciding which universities appealed to us and what we wanted to study. Miss Fleming called my parents and me into her office for a “discussion.” For a few years at that point a handful of sixth year girls had been selected annually to prepare with a handful of GWC boys for the Oxbridge Entrance Exams, beginning in the spring term. The preparations continued into the following autumn, so it meant postponing university for a year and working very hard to boot. I hesitated, and then Miss Fleming made her point. I remember her looking at me and saying, “Well, you can either be a big fish in a small pond or you could try to do better,” or words to that effect. How could I say no? And so it was that in the spring of 1972, “the two Julias” (Julia Hamilton and Julia Sanderson) and I began attending classes at GWC on Colinton Road with eight of their sixth formers. We were the only three girls in a school of 1,600 boys. Needless to say, before I left for school every morning mascara and lipstick were applied! We were drilled in our selected subjects (mine were English, French and Latin) and every week, we would meet for a period with the redoubtable Headmaster Roger Young, who prepared us for the general discussion exam we would have to take. It was a singular experience I do not regret, even though in the end none of the 11 of us was accepted at either Oxford or Cambridge (to the consternation of the two schools!)
Vicky Stanton née Patterson (Class of 1972)