St Columba's School

St Columba’s School is very much a part of the village. In fact, the school has been on its current site since 1897. Now housing the Senior School, the original building is an impressive red sandstone mansion which proudly sits on the corner of Duchal Road and Lyle Road. Since then, the school has grown and diversified; 54 girls entered the school that first year and, almost 122 years later, we are a co-educational establishment with over 650 pupils aged three to 18.

In the same year that St Columba’s opened its doors, Adam Birkmyre, a local tradesman and philanthropist, was donating Birkmyre Park to the community. Some thirty years later, the school would acquire Mr Birkmyre’s house, Shalott, a stunning gothic building on Knockbuckle Road, which now forms part of our charming Junior School. It is clear to see that we are very much a part of Kilmacolm’s history - and its future!

St Columba’s pupils contribute to the wider community in myriad ways, from our Early Years children making friends with the residents of Campbell Snowdon House Care Home (Quarrier’s Village) to our award-winning Pipe Band performing on gala days in and around Kilmacolm. Our pupils use the beautiful nature reserve at Glen Moss as the natural environment for the John Muir Award, and D of E expeditions take place in the Clyde Muirshiel National Park. By participating locally, we teach our pupils to contribute globally, helping them to become well-rounded citizens of the world.

As you would expect, our ethos of compassion and integrity, tolerance and acceptance, aspiration and selfbelief are instilled in every young Columban. Our pupils are known, not just by name, but by their interests, their strengths, their achievements and their aspirations. We are able to tailor the curriculum and learning journey to suit each child’s individual needs, to help them develop their unique talents and reach their full potential.

Surrounded by rolling hills and farmland, Kilmacolm is idyllic and greatly enriches our pupils' outdoor experience – we have even started growing our own fruit and vegetables on site!

The setting is as beautiful as it is safe and it offers an excellent learning environment in which young minds can flourish. Equally, our proximity to Glasgow affords pupils countless opportunities to supplement their learning thanks to the many educational, literary, artistic and theatrical treasures the city has to offer.

Visit St Columba’s today by contacting Admissions Registrar, Moira McWhirter, via admissions@st-columbas.org. Find out more about the school at st-columbas.org.