Park School for Girls was an independent all-girls school situated in Glasgow, Scotland. The school merged with Laurel Bank School and the resulting Laurel Park School was absorbed into Hutchesons' Grammar School in 2002.

History

The school was founded in 1880 by the Glasgow Girls School Company, which appointed the self-taught Georgina Kinnear to develop a school as she saw fit. One of the first pupils was Margaret Paulin Young who rose to become Head Girl. She returned to teach and was groomed by Georgina Kinneear to take her place. Under Young's leadership, the school it continued to grow, developing separate classes for art and science. In 1929, Margaret Paulin Young retired and Janie Robertson became the head of Park School. She was born in Dumfries in 1879 and was a masters graduate of Edinburgh University. She had been head of maths and second mistress. She was religious and she could recite parts of the bible from memory. She was active in the church and the Girl Guides. She led the school until 1944 and died in 1957. In 1976, with a declining need for girls' schools in the west end of Glasgow, the governors of the school agreed to share finances with two other nearby girls' schools. Due to falling enrolments, Park School merged with Laurel Bank school in 1996, creating Laurel Park School. The Park School premises on Lynedoch Street were sold and converted into luxury flats, while Laurel Park School occupied the former Laurel Bank School premises on Lilybank Terrace in Hillhead. Laurel Park School for girls closed in 2002, and pupils transferred to Hutchesons' Grammar School.

Laurel Bank School

Laurel Bank had been different before it merged. It had been formed in 1905 by

Margaret Hannan Watson Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning " pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular throug ...

and Janet Spens who were graduates of St Andrews and Glasgow University. Spens left Watson in charge when she left in 1908. It had distinctive green uniforms. It had also had some notable pupils. One early pupil had read "Scouting for Boys" and with five other students they formed the "Cuckoo Patrol" which was a precursor of the Girl Guides. Allison Greenlees was Scotland's first Girl Guide in 1909. A notable and "immortal" staff member was Agnes Raeburn who taught art at Laurel Bank. A later alumni was the journalist Sally Magnusson, Ann Paton, Lady Paton, the pacifist Helen Steven and

Janet Hendry Janet Hendry (23 October 1906– 21 February 2004) was one of the pioneers of Scottish aviation and had the distinction of being the first woman pilot in Scotland. Early life Janet Hendry was born in Ardrossan, Ayrshire on 23 October 1906 to An ...

one of the pioneers of Scottish aviation and the first woman pilot in Scotland. Other notable alumni were Laura Kuenssberg at Laurel Bank

References

{{coord missing, Glasgow 1880 establishments in Scotland Educational institutions established in 1880 Girls' schools in Scotland