When the Slamannan School Board was formed in 1873 it was offered the private school at Dykehead, a mile to the west of Avonbridge, on condition that the managers of the school at that time were allowed to use it for religious meetings in the future. This was agreed to and it became Dykehead Public School. The Board soon realised that the building was unsuitable because of its age, size and location and started to look for a site nearer to Avonbridge. At first land at Avonhill belonging to Mr Paton was favoured, but eventually the Board plumped for a site much nearer the village belonging to the Shaws of Dalquhairn. It lay one field to the west of the built-up area of Avonbridge, on the south side of the road to Slamannan – allowing room for the future expansion of both village and school. Negotiations were immediately opened up with the neighbouring school boards at Muiravonside and Torphichen so that a “combination school” could be built. Both were interested but Torphichen were unable to agree terms. Muiravonside was much more amenable, probably because it wanted to close the Avonbridge Subscription School which it had inherited on the north side of the River Avon. Indeed, the relationship between the Slamannan and Muiravonside School Boards, though occasionally stormy, remained work-a-day for half a century, and there was a constant exchange of information.
Muiravonside School Board agreed to pay one third of the costs of construction. It had also agreed to pay its share of the annual feu duty but the Education Department in London said that this should be the sole responsibility of the Slamannan Board. The management of the school was to fall on Slamannan.
“Notice to Contractors. The School Board of Slamannan will receive Tenders for the Digger, mason, Brick, Wright, Slater, Plumber, and Plaster Works of a School and Teacher’s House to be erected near AVONBRIDGE. Copies of the Plans to be seen and Schedules to be had from Alexander Watt, Architect, 67 Renfield Street, Glasgow. A Deposit of 2s 6d to be paid for each Schedule. Offers to be sent to Andrew Allan, Solicitor, Falkirk, Clerk to the Board, marked “Tender for School at Avonbridge,” on or before the 20th curt.” (Falkirk Herald 10 February 1877, 1).
In May 1877 tenders were accepted from Mr Miller for joiner work (£430), Mr Neil for plumber work (£30), and Robertson for mason work (£874). It had been proposed to build the walls in whinstone, the traditional material for the area, but this was changed to rubble freestone. Robertson agreed to commence work on 1 May and finish by 31 August, including the boundary walls, with the building ready to receive the joiners at the beginning of July. The total cost of the building to accommodate 150 scholars was £1,335. It was ready for use on 15 October and the head teacher’s house was completed the following month. Avonbridge Public School was officially opened on 12 November 1877. The old school at Dykehead was then put up for sale and eventually, in October 1879, sold for £122.
Routine repairs were carried out over the following years and every now and again the school was painted. In 1884 a porch was added and in 1888 the open fires were replaced by steam pipes by Messrs Spence of Airdrie. This was one of the first schools in the Falkirk district to get central heating but the steam system proved troublesome. Low pressure hot water was more reliable. Sheds to shelter the children during playtime were erected along the western boundary in 1892.
By 1894 the school was too small. A survey showed that 89 children attended Avonbridge Combination School from Slamannan parish, 104 from Muiravonside, and 52 from Torphichen – a total of 245. Muiravonside had got a good deal for its one third share. Torphichen had contributed nothing! So, when it came to extending the school the Torphichen School Board was again contacted. It again refused to contribute and so it was threatened that the students from its area would be expelled. Torphichen was eventually brought to the negotiating table by the Department of Education and an “amicable” agreement was reached.
Consequently, in 1895 alterations and additions were made to the school to accommodate an additional 55 children and the use of the UP Church Hall was granted free of charge during the works. Further internal alterations were made in 1906 to increase the capacity yet further and in 1908 a small extension was added at a cost of £600. Yet again the Muiravonside School Board contributed to the cost, Torphichen did not.
The Torphichen problem was finally solved in 1930 when “special travelling facilities” (a bus), were provided for the children living there to take them to Westfield School. That same year 1.6 acres of ground to the south-east of the Avonbridge School were acquired by Stirling County Council in order to extend the playground.
About 11am on 3 August 1938 the headmaster, who lived close by, noticed flames issuing from a classroom in Avonbridge School. He telephoned the Falkirk Fire Brigade and after a seven mile journey they were just in time to prevent the outbreak developing into a serious conflagration. The window frames and part of the roof were on fire. The burning material was cut away and amazingly the damage was thus limited to around £20 (Falkirk Herald 1938, 7).
The stone school building survived for almost another 30 years. In the Second World War it was used as a Rest Centre and gas masks were issued from it. By the 1960s the building was considered to be old-fashioned and a new school was constructed in the extended playground with access from the Main Street. It opened with little ceremony on 27 August 1962. The old school was demolished and the site incorporated into the playfield.
| YEAR ARRIVED | HEADTEACHER | YEAR LEFT | No. PUPILS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1873 | Henry Taylor | 1877 | |
| 1877 | Donald Gay | 1886 | 70+ |
| 1886 | Alexander Thomson | 1892 | 130+ |
| 1892 | Robert Duncan | 1922 | 167+ (240) |
| 1922 | James Walker | 1924 | |
| 1924 | Donald R Leslie | 1928 | |
| 1928 | John Matheson | 1929 | |
| 1929 | Hugh D Ferguson | 1931 | |
| 1931 | William R Gardiner | 1935 | |
| 1935 | Alexander G Beveridge | 1937 | |
| 1937 | Hugh G Stark | 1939 | |
| 1939 | David Clark | 1947 | |
| 1948 | Robert V Mackay | ||
| M Coulter | Present |
Sites and Monuments Record
| AVONBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOL Main Street, Avonbridge | SMR 1749 | NS 9094 7252 |
Falkirk Local History Society 