Bearsden Cross site (1911–1958) In 1911, the school was situated on the corner of
Roman Road and
Drymen Road north of
Bearsden railway station in the Bearsden Cross area of the town. It was originally known as New Kilpatrick Higher Grade School. It comprised both a primary school and a secondary school. The building was designed by the architectural firm James M. Monro & Sons. It opened on 17 August 1911. The first headmaster was Hugh Primrose. In 1920, the school was renamed Bearsden Academy. In 1958, with the town expanding, and becoming a
burgh, a new secondary school was built on Morven Road and Bearsden Academy was moved there and the whole of the remaining building became Bearsden Primary School.
Morven Road site (1958–2010) From 1958 to 2010 the school was located on the south side of Morven Road in Bearsden. The old Morven Road site was redeveloped as a new housing estate, comprising detached and flatted dwellings known as
Academy Grove in 2009–12. Norman McLeod was a rector at the school and one of the streets in Academy Grove is named in his honour.
Stockiemuir Road site (2010–) St Peter's College The Stockiemuir Road site the academy occupies was originally a
Roman Catholic seminary for the
Archdiocese of Glasgow and then a
teaching college. In 1874, the
Archbishop of Glasgow,
Charles Eyre originally established St Peter's College in
Partickhill. In 1892, he decided to move it to Bearsden. The college chapel was the first to serve the local Catholic population. With the arrival of a railway to the area, the population increased and the college chapel was expanded. In 1946, a fire destroyed the college, razing it to the ground. The decision was made by the archdiocese to abandon the site and build a new seminary in
Cardross. The seminary was moved to Darleith House in Cardross and then Kilmahew House, before the new purpose-built
St Peter's Seminary in Cardross was ready in 1966.
Teaching College In 1966, to replace the seminary, a teaching college was built on the site. It was designed by the same architects as
St Peter's Seminary, Cardross, the firm of
Gillespie, Kidd & Coia (GKC). It was built in a U-shape, with two teaching blocks, a physical education building and five student accommodation buildings. In 1969, the complex was opened, as the
Notre Dame College of Education. In 1999, it joined with
University of Glasgow to become the Faculty of Education of the University of Glasgow. In 2002, the teaching college was relocated and the site was declared surplus to university requirements. After negotiations between
Historic Scotland and
East Dunbartonshire Council, it was decided to demolish the site and build a school. The new building was built under a public-private partnership. In August 2010 the new site for Bearsden Academy opened to staff and students. ==Controversies==