St John’s R.C. Academy

Perth and Kinross council successfully applied to the Scottish Executive to fund the building of six new schools in the area on a programme of projects known as Investment in Learning. It is an all-through Catholic campus with provision for the full range of pupils from nursery to the completion of secondary education. The new school will be an integrated community school, providing many support and community facilities on-site, and will be called St John’s R.C. Academy.

Enhanced provision includes 3 and 4 court games halls, a dance studio, fitness suite, drama facilities, a recording studio and a full public library as well as much improved teaching spaces and an area dedicated to support for pupils and families.

Work began on the new school site, adjacent to the former St Columba's High School building, in February 2008 with completion of Phase 1 (the Secondary School teaching areas and shared facilities) scheduled for moving in March 2010. The St Columba's building will then be demolished and Phase 2 (primary and nursery areas) should be complete by October 2011.

Our past …

St John's primary school building in Stormont Street was opened in 1938 and was regarded as a very modern building for its time. It was extended in 1968 and has been renovated in recent years. The original St John’s School dates from 1864 when it was to be found in premises in the centre of the town, on part of the site now occupied by the St John’s Centre. For the following 100 years St John’s School, on one site or other, provided an education for children of Catholic families all over Perth and beyond.

By the mid-1960’s, numbers had become so large that St John’s gave birth to two newcomers, St. Columba’s High School (1967) and Our Lady’s Primary School (1968). Built in 1966, St Columba's High School was officially opened on 11th April 1967, when the school moved from the combined primary and secondary St John's School in Stormont Street to its Malvina Place, in Muirton. The school has a peaceful setting, close to the banks of the River Tay, at the top of the North Inch, with outstanding views to the Highlands.

Both St John’s Primary School and St Columba’s Secondary School provide for a large number of Catholic families, but also children from families of other faiths or none at all, who choose to send their children to our school.