A SUCCESSFUL Greenock school is looking to the future to celebrate its past.

Notre Dame has been busy celebrating its 40th year after shaping the hearts and minds of thousands of local young people.

Over the past four decades the school has been in four different buildings: Peat Road, Dunlop Street, Dempster Street and then back to Dunlop Street for a move into a stunning �29 million school which opened in 2011.

The school has marked the milestone in its history with a special mass at St Patrick's Church, where many former pupils and staff members met to reminisce.

Head teacher Grant McGovern said: "The tangible thing that is Notre Dame, the essence that has made us such a successful school, is not a building.

"It is the people at the heart of our community - the students, parents and carers and the many outstanding teachers and support staff over those years that have been brought about by these shared values."

It's often said that school days are the best days of your life - and this certainly seems to ring true at Notre Dame.

Quite a number of former pupils have returned to their old stomping ground to teach - and the Tele spoke to some of them to celebrate the school's big birthday.

Notre Dame's popular principal maths teacher Gerard McHugh was a pupil in the old Peat Road building between 1973 and 1979 and it was a far cry from now, as he can still remember teacher shortages at the time.

He said: "I really enjoyed my time in school. In second year we only had one maths teacher - there were shortages of staff at the time. Parents were concerned and we had technical and computing teachers deputising for maths teachers but by third or fourth year, everything was fine."

Gerard was delighted when he got the chance to return as a teacher, saying: "It was great."

His fellow maths teacher Clare Smith, nee Boyd, was taught by Gerard before she returned to teach in the department 15 years ago.

The mum-of-four attended the school between 1987 and 1993 and her passion for drama saw her appear in all the school shows, which remains a happy memory.

Clare said: "It was a great experience for a first year to work with older children and get to feel part of a team. It was definitely a highlight of my time at school. Everyone has fond memories."

Notre Dame's current state-of-the-art facilities are amongst the best in the country - but it wasn't always like that for pupils and staff.

Clare said: "We just took the condition of the Peat Road building for granted. I remember sitting in the canteen and a huge section of the roof fell in - nobody even moved. It was just a bit of dust in my lunch!"

Clare's own daughter is now in first year at the school and part of the new generation coming through.

Deborah Bryceland, a pupil between 1992 and 1998, is now Notre Dame's principal teacher of computing, and was delighted to land a teaching post at her old school.

She said: "There's lots of former pupils coming back to teach. It's a community. I had a positive learning experience here - it was a nice time for me. The ethos and staff meant that I loved the thought of coming back."

The new school has a capacity for 850 pupils plus additional accommodation for approximately 40 youngsters in a dedicated communications and language unit.

Gerard said: "This is a wonderful building and it's a pleasure to teach here - it's first class."

And Notre Dame High is just as popular with its young people.

Sixth year students Tayrn Coyle, Nathalie Buermann and Emma McDade are now preparing to go out to make their way in the world but are sorry to be leaving school.

Emma said: "It's a nice atmosphere and the new building is amazing."

Nathalie added: "I feel quite sad."

Tayrn praised her teachers and told the Telegraph: "Staff have really helped us through the years."

The school's 40th year coincides with the end of an era for one long-serving staff member - depute head Michael Fay.

Mr Fay taught for more than 34 years at the school but is now retiring.

He said: "The highlight of my career has been ending up teaching in this state-of-the-art building, teaching young people and working with wonderful colleagues. It's been very rewarding teaching young people then teaching their children - some pupils have told me that 'you taught my granny'!

"I've worked with five headies in four buildings."