The Primary School with an intake of three forms at Primary 1 rises to four forms in the fifth year of the Primary Department. This large Primary Department allows a wide range of opportunities to pupils. In addition to full musical, dramatic and sporting activities there are clubs and societies which cater for different interests. While the thrust of the school is academic and preparing pupils for a continuing academic Secondary education, social and personal skills are not neglected. Specialist staff assist in modern languages, music, sport, art and craft subjects but the identity of the Primary Department is kept as a separate one, the building being some three quarters of a mile from the main Secondary School. There is a Deputy Rector, who has day to day responsibility for the running of the Primary Department and he is assisted by two Assistant Rectors and four House Mistresses.
A new Infant Block has been recently opened.
While the curriculum of the Secondary Department at Hutchesons' is based on the academic selectivity of its pupils, nevertheless a wide range of other activities are catered for. Music and Sport are both interests which seek to achieve a high standard of excellence and at the same time be available for the less specialist performer.
Thus over thirty hockey teams and rugby teams play regularly in the winter and as well as orchestras and chamber choirs there is a large choral society for pupils and friends of the school. In a large school the need to have an organised pastoral structure is recognised through Form Teachers and a Year Tutor for each year. Senior Members of Staff are responsible for entry to higher education and also for a careers programme which runs through the Secondary Department. The School is non-denominational but follows a Christian tradition, although there are separate Assemblies for Jewish pupils. The School prides itself on its tradition of offering an academic education to children from all social backgrounds. While the School mainly follows the examination of the Scottish Qualification Board (Standard Grade, Higher and SYS), GCE 'A' Levels are taken by some pupils in their final year. Last year there were 1,058 passes at Higher from 1190 presentations.
The school is currently engaged in a redevelopment programme, the first example of which has been the building of fifteen new science laboratories and ancillary rooms which was opened in September 1991, a new Infant Department and two new classroom blocks which have been opened since. A new Sports Hall was completed in June 1997.
