Memories of Braeview Academy family, fun and fire as Dundee school closure looms

The Courier

06-06-2025

From performing as Britney Spears to its camaraderie, former depute head teacher Lynn Cathro has special memories of Braeview Academy, as its closure looms.
As does Sheryl Ross, who has been both a pupil and staff member at the Dundee secondary, which shuts for good at the end of term.
Along with head teacher Lesley Elder and pupils Kai Smith and Katie-Leigh Buchanan, they told The Courier of their mixed emotions as Braeview closes to become part of the new Greenfield Academy.
Lynn, 66, was a teacher at Braeview Academy when it opened in 1996, having joined its predecessor Whitfield High School in 1993.
She was principal guidance teacher before becoming depute head. After retiring in 2019, she returned as a supply teacher until last year.
Lynn says: 'We're like a family at Braeview. It's quite a small school and we all know each other. The young people are just the best here.'
The camaraderie, she said, has been most special to her.
And, of course, the many school trips and shows.
'You name it, we did it!' she says.
'We did lots of musicals and just had great fun. The school has very much been the heart of the community.'
Indeed, Lynn was often on stage herself, including playing Buttons in the staff pantomime and Britney Spears.
She explains: 'One of the best shows we did was like Stars In Their Eyes. I was Britney Spears with two of my sixth year pupils rocking Hit Me Baby One More Time.
'That was a real hoot.'
Latterly, Lynn worked in the school's enhanced support provision, a role she adored.
She has visited the school in its final days, which are being marked with events including a staff ball, community open day on Saturday and music concert.
'I'm not going to lie, it is sad,' she says. 'Especially when I think of former colleagues who are no longer with us.
'Because, as I say, we're like family.
'But it's mixed feelings because I do think our community, our school deserves to have a brand new school.'
Braeview Academy is also a dear place to admin worker Sheryl, 37. She was a pupil between 1999 and 2004 and returned to work there four years ago.
She says: 'My five years as a pupil were positive. I was happy at school, I liked my teachers, I liked my subjects and I felt supported.'
And in her job she often sees familiar faces from her younger days at Braeview, including teachers and classmates whose children are now at the school.
'I love being back and working with a lot of staff members that taught me back in the day.
'Lesley was actually my guidance teacher!'
Sheryl will move to Greenfield Academy with the pupils and many of her colleagues. She's excited but emotional.
'This building, the whole set-up of Braeview, that's all I've known,' she says. 'It's sad to see it closing, this building holds a lot of my teenage memories.
'But I'm glad for the kids and the staff. We do definitely need a new school building.'
Kai Smith and Katie-Leigh Buchanan, both 16, are part of the generation to experience both Braeview Academy and soon Greenfield Academy, as they start S6 and S5.
Kai says: 'I'm really looking forward to moving to Greenfield.
'But I do have mixed feelings because I've been here for so long and Braeview has offered me so much.'
He will be a house captain at Greenfield and says: 'I'm really excited to help bring the community together, help everyone feel a sense of belonging in the new school.'
The school's final day on June 27 will also be the end of a long history with Braeview for head teacher Lesley.
She joined Braeview as a guidance teacher in 2000 before being appointed depute head of Grove Academy five years later.
In 2017 she returned to lead the school.
'Within a couple of days of being here I was inviting into my office parents I had taught back in the day – Sheryl's generation of kids who, by that time, had children that were in the school.
'It's a very, very family-orientated school.'
Among the challenges Lesley faced early in her headship was the 2018 fire which destroyed a large part of the building.
For almost four months Braeview pupils had to go to Craigie High School and Baldragon Academy.
Lesley says: 'The school coped magnificently. It was an amazing feat of endeavour and so many partnerships were involved.
'Because the school was water and fire-damaged, staff had to leave all of their work behind. In 2018 things were still very much paper-based so they were leaving filing cabinets full of documents.
'But schools across the city gave us books, textbooks, recordings for modern languages, photocopied material for S1 right up to S6.
'Within a week and a half everyone was settled at Craigie and Baldragon. The staff there were absolutely tremendous and welcomed us with open arms.'
Like Lynn, school shows and other events have created stand-out memories of Braeview for Lesley.
'We used to do positive behaviour days where the staff would dress up in costumes,' she recalls. 'I remember staff coming to work dressed as fairy godmothers and First World War pilots.
'A colleague and I came dressed as British Airways cabin crew.
'Staff had a sense of fun in order to entertain the young people.'
With Braeview Academy's closure nearing, the reality is dawning that it will soon be no more.
'Now we're in June and we have less than a month left I think the feelings and emotions have intensified among the staff and young people.
'We're all really optimistic because this new state-of-the art school has been a long time coming for Braeview and Craigie.
'It's very much deserved and it will be a self-esteem boost for the community.
'Greenfield is bigger and the opportunities will be far greater than we've been able to offer.
'But it's also what we're leaving behind. The building that we've known and loved for many years, this small staff and small community.'
Former Morgan Academy head teacher Johnny Lothian has been appointed head teacher for Greenfield Academy, so Lesley is to be redeployed by Dundee City Council.
Her message to the Braeview staff and pupils moving on?
'The really positive spirit and resilience that the staff have, which is second to none and really characterises Braeview, I know they'll take that forward to Greenfield.
'And I would hope the same for the young people.
'I would say to the young people: 'Always know you're loved.''