Kirkland High School (formerly known as Kirkland High School and Community College and Kirkland Junior High School) was a six-year
comprehensive school
A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is res ...
in
Methil
Methil (Scottish Gaelic: Meadhchill) is an eastern coastal town in Scotland. It was first recorded as "Methkil" in 1207, and belonged to the Bishop of St Andrews. Two Bronze Age cemeteries have been discovered which date the settlement as ov ...
that served the population in the
Levenmouth area, Scotland. From January 2005 until June 2016 the head teacher was Ronnie Ross. In June 2012 Fife Council proposed that the school should merge with neighbouring
Buckhaven High School
Buckhaven High School was a six-year co-educational non-denominational comprehensive school in Buckhaven, Fife, Scotland. In the past, Buckhaven was Levenmouth's high school for pupils who passed their qualifying exam. The school's motto was '' ...
to create
Levenmouth Academy
Levenmouth Academy is a six-year comprehensive school in Buckhaven, Scotland that serves the population in the Levenmouth area. In June 2012, Fife Council proposed that the neighbouring Kirkland and Buckhaven schools should close and their catch ...
. The plans were approved in April 2014 and the new school opened to pupils on 17 August 2016. In September 2015 the student roll was 421, less than half of the roll of 900 the school had in 2000.
History
The Kirkland Junior High School was established in 1963 to accommodate the extra influx of pupils to the existing Aberhill Secondary. It was built on the 13th-century land of Michael of Methil, a relative of the famous
MacDuff. It was officially opened in 1965. The school had served alongside
Buckhaven High School
Buckhaven High School was a six-year co-educational non-denominational comprehensive school in Buckhaven, Fife, Scotland. In the past, Buckhaven was Levenmouth's high school for pupils who passed their qualifying exam. The school's motto was '' ...
as the high schools for the Levenmouth area since the closure of Aberhill Secondary. In 1970, it became a fully
comprehensive school
A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is res ...
.
In 1990, a community college was opened within the school, from then on known as Kirkland High School and Community College. In 2006, the school was made one of the Scottish Government's
Schools of Ambition
The Schools of Ambition programme, also called the Schools of Ambition initiative, was a government programme in Scotland that aimed to improve school character and performance by offering struggling secondary schools philanthropist money and an ...
.
The school had three houses, 'Caldcoits', 'Kinnarchie' and 'Pirnie'. However, due to reduced numbers on the school roll, in the last few years of the school's operation, only the latter two houses were used in the system.
In 2015, the Kirkland College was closed, in preparation for the move to the new Levenmouth Campus. The college merged with
Fife College
Fife College is a further and higher education college in Fife, Scotland.
Campuses
The college's main campuses are located in Dunfermline, Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy with smaller campuses in Leven, and Rosyth. The college also operates commun ...
, who were built their own specialised facility on the grounds of the new school, meaning that the Levenmouth Campus is the largest of its kind in Scotland, educating over 2,000 students in total.
The buildings were vacated by pupils in July 2016.
Demolition work on the old facilities was scheduled for September 2016, beginning with the former games hall. The site was completely demolished by December 2016, and the cleanup operation is ongoing.
Headteachers
*1963 - 1966: William Reid
*1966 - 1977: Dai Davies
*1977 - 1979: J. F. Strang
*1979 - 1983: Thomas Dalgleish
*1983 - 1985: Jack Yuile
*1989 - 1997: Gerry Coyle
*1997 - 2005: Ken Robertson
*2005 - 2016: Ronnie Ross
Notable pupils
*
Jack Vettriano
Jack Vettriano (born Jack Hoggan, 17 November 1951) is a Scottish painter. His 1992 painting ''The Singing Butler'' became a best-selling image in Britain.
Early life
Jack Vettriano was born and grew up in the industrial seaside town of Met ...
, painter
*
William Curley
William Curley (born 29 October 1971) is a Scottish patissier and chocolatier. Curley is the owner of the London chocolate company William Curley Ltd., and has won the Academy of Chocolate's 'Britain's Best Chocolatier' Award four times. In 2 ...
, chocolatier and patissier
*
Nathan Austin
Nathan Austin (born 15 February 1994) is an English professional footballer, who plays as a striker for East Fife. He has also previously played for East Fife, Falkirk, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Kelty Hearts.
Career
Austin, born in He ...
, footballer
School dress code
Attire
Girls wore dark skirt or trousers, white or dark top, and dark footwear. Boys wore dark trousers, white or dark top, and dark footwear.
School ties
Wearing a school tie at all times was encouraged and enforced by staff to promote uniformity and identifiability. At the start of first year, each pupil received a complimentary school tie.
References
External links
Information about Kirklandon Fife Council website
Kirkland High School - Community Useprofileon Parentzone section of Education Scotland website
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Defunct secondary schools in Fife
Education in Fife
Levenmouth
Educational institutions established in 1963
Educational institutions disestablished in 2016
1963 establishments in Scotland
2016 disestablishments in Scotland