West Coats Primary School - History

History

Originally West Coats was a Higher Grade (or HG) school that pupils attended from age five to fourteen and left for the workplace. Later it became a primary school for children aged between five and eleven, or twelve, depending on when their birthdays fell and when they had begun attending the school.

This is worth mentioning because, during the 1950s and 60s, it was commonly held that, under the Scottish education system, which has always been separate from those of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a child could not enter primary school until after his/her fifth birthday. Back then there were two annual intakes: one in August, for children who had already reached five prior to the start of the autumn term, and another intake in February for children who had become five in the intervening period.

However, it transpired that the ‘rule of five’ was a myth. A head teacher had considerable leeway regarding the precise age at which he/she accepted any child into primary school. So it often happened that some children, who had reached five after the August intake - often considerably ‘after’ - were accepted by some primary schools in August, while similar children living in the catchment areas of other primary schools were obliged to wait until February.

Thus, by the time ‘younger’ pupils came together for first year at the local secondary school, they frequently found themselves amongst children who were up to ten months older which, by dint of puberty and all factors attendant, was often socially awkward for the younger children affected. It was equally awkward when more mature children finished up amongst a majority of those less mature.

So, due to convenience, and/or perhaps a wish to please pushy parents, some primary head teachers did not always consider the ultimate social implications of putting in the same years children whose ages differed quite widely. A ten month age gap during childhood is nothing compared to the same age gap after puberty when developmental differences, both physical and psychological, become increasingly marked. Nature is quite capable of accentuating these differences on her own without assistance from society.

At any rate, since the widespread practice of accepting children early was common at West Coats during the 1950s and 60s it is pertinent to this article.

One upon a time West Coats had a smart uniform comprising: blazers, white shirts or blouses, ties, grey flannel short trousers or gym-slips, grey themed jumpers with matching knee-length socks, and black shoes. Today’s uniform is rather different and may be seen by clicking here.

Eminent former pupils of West Coats include Robert Crawford, current Professor of English at St. Andrew’s University, and the late Duncan Glen, Professor Emeritus of Visual Communication at Nottingham Trent University. Whereas an eminent former head teacher of West Coats was Scottish poet John Buchanan, who reigned at the school somewhere around the period 1905-1919.