Welcome

A very warm welcome to our website.

Thank you for taking the time to visit us.
I do hope that you find the information you are looking for.

A wee bit about me:

I am John McKay and I have been Headteacher here in The Grammar since 2008. Previously I had been a DHT and a PT of Geography in Dalziel High School in Motherwell, and prior to that I was an APT Curriculum in St Margaret’s High School in Airdrie. My first permanent post was as a Geography teacher in Holy Cross High School in Hamilton. Prior to this I was a supply teacher and had a mercifully brief spell in Social Work! I am married and have 4 children and come to school for a rest.

Enough about me – Who are we in Uddingston Grammar School?

Uddingston Grammar School has served the communities of Uddingston, Bothwell, Viewpark, Tannochside and Cambuslang since about 1864 in one guise or another. We are a fully 6 year comprehensive school, who are also the home of the South Lanarkshire Visually Impaired Secondary Service. Our catchment area crosses into North Lanarkshire Council, and a significant number of our young people are transported to school. We are part of the Uddingston Learning Community, which comprises ourselves, our associated feeder primary partners, Aitkenhead, Bothwell, Muiredge, Newton Farm and Tannochside Primaries, as well as the associated early years and nursery services.

The school has a roll of around 1350 young people which is expected to rise to about 1450 young people over the coming years. We have a compliment of about 87 staff, spread across the mainstream school and our specialist teaching staff in Visual Impairment.

I have a Senior Leadership Team of 6 (full time equivalent) Deputes;

We also have 7 (full time equivalent) Principal Teachers of Pupil Support responsible for our 7 House Groups, named after Scottish Islands, which young people are part of.

They are;

As part of our  Pupil Welfare Strategic Team we have our girls programme RISE coordinated by Mrs McDermott and our boys/mixed intensive programme RISE+ coordinated by Mr Anderson.

There are more details about the Senior Leadership Team and the Pupil Support House structure within the website contents.

At Uddingston Grammar School, we are dedicated to helping everyone reach their full potential. Our guiding principle is "Virtue Crescam", a Latin phrase that means growing in excellence. This principle is reflected in our core values, represented by the acronym CARES: Compassion, Ambition, Respect, Equity, and Success. We regularly review and update our aims and values to stay current with educational advancements and to align with strategic goals, such as those in South Lanarkshire Council's Education Resources Plan for 2023-24.

We pride ourselves on being a UNICEF Rights Respecting School, bolstered by an active Parent Council and Pupil Empowerment Team. Our school culture is one of openness, fairness, trust, and mutual respect. We believe in encouraging participation and involvement, fostering a sense of shared ownership, and celebrating achievements, whether small or significant.

In line with the Council's Education Resources Plan, our goal is to provide a safe, secure, and intellectually stimulating environment. This environment challenges pupils appropriately while reflecting our commitment to fairness and excellence in education (as detailed in Section Two of the Council's Plan). Our role extends beyond teaching; we guide, support, and assist in collaboration with our pupils' carers and families. This approach resonates with the Council's strategy to utilise equity funding and data to offer targeted activities and resources, ensuring a holistic educational experience for our pupils (see Section Five of the Council's Plan).

At Uddingston Grammar School, we strive to create a nurturing space where pupils can grow, experience life, and discover their identities. This objective aligns with the Council's Plan, focusing on reducing educational disparities and enhancing overall wellbeing, equipping our young people for their future (refer to Section Two in the Council's Plan). Our educational journey with our young people is a collaborative effort, reflecting our deep commitment to their success and wellbeing.

Working together, we encourage our young people to become;

Successful Learners; Confident Individuals; Responsible Citizens and Effective Contributors.

We have a huge range of curricular initiatives, extra-curricular activities, clubs, opportunities for leadership, charity fundraisers, outdoor learning, excursions both home and abroad, work experience, college placements amongst but a few.

We believe that every young person deserves the best from us. We believe that we judge our success by their successes. We believe that by working together, with young people, their families and their communities, we can make a difference. We are not perfect. We seek to listen and to learn and to always improve. Our young people matter to us.

We are Uddingston Grammar.

Contact me at