Balwearie High School - C Block |
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| Established | 1964 (junior secondary) 1972 (secondary school) |
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| Type | Secondary School |
| Rector | Dr James More (2010-Present) |
| Location | Balwearie Gardens Kirkcaldy Fife KY2 5LY Scotland |
| Students | 1750 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 12–18 |
| Colours | Black & White |
| Grades | S1-S6 |
| Website | Balwearie High School |
Balwearie High School is a non-denominational comprehensive secondary school at the west end of Kirkcaldy in Scotland. Balwearie serves around 1750 pupils aged from 12 to 18 and includes a Department of Additional Support (DAS for short) for children with Additional Support Needs.
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The school opened in 1964 with Mr Tom Elder as headmaster, who retired in 1970. He was then succeeded by Oliver McLaughlan, who was rector from 1970 to 1988, followed by Gordon MacKenzie OBE who is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde, with a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Accountancy. He then moved to Aberdeen University, where he spent a year completing his Teacher Training qualification. He is a past president of the Headteachers' Association of Scotland. Currently he is an external examiner for Aberdeen University and a member of the Learning and Teaching Scotland Advisory Council. In 2001 he was awarded an OBE for services to Secondary Education. He retired in April 2010. It is currently run by Dr James More (who was Depute headmaster from 2001 to 2010) after a spell as Acting Rector. He is also a former pupil.
The school was initially a junior secondary school, before becoming a comprehensive school in 1972. It originally comprised two blocks, named C Block and T Block. The J block was added a few years later, housing a library and math, geography, science, technical, and computing classrooms. This and the C Block is conjoined via a bridge corridor through the L (library) Block. There are also detached hut units housing a small number of classrooms. The school has two cafeterias: the L Block is used by first, second, and sixth year pupils; the C Block is used by third, fourth and fifth year pupils.
The bridge corridor, along with the DAS department (known prior to 2008 as the Department of Special Education), games hall, J block, senior cafe, and an extension to C block, was built in 1976.
Sporting facilities include:
There is also an auditorium with a stage area, complemented with a full set of lighting and sound equipment. This was designed and created by the Art & Design Department & Farmer Facilities.
Outside of school hours, the school functions as a community centre.
In January 1997, a radiator fault caused a fire in the school's music department, which is situated at the top floor of the C block. The fire began in the early hours of the morning following the schools 'Burns Night' celebrations for the birthday of Robert Burns. It was extinguished rapidly by the local fire brigade. The music department suffered the most through fire and water damages; however, each level beneath the third floor suffered fire damage as well. The school was closed for several days with students being allowed back in stages, with the senior students, who were in the final preparations for May exams, returning first.
There was a second fire on June 29, 2009 in the Games Hall and community use cafe shortly before 5pm; however, the damaged building was deemed safe, and the awards ceremony due that evening went ahead as planned. Pupils attended school the following day as usual.[1]
The school's catchment area covers much of the south of Kirkcaldy, Kinghorn, Burntisland, Auchtertool Aberdour, Dysart and Glenrothres. However, pupils who live outside this catchment area can request to attend Balwearie by asking the Education Board. Balwearie's associated primary schools are Auchtertool, Burntisland, Dunnikier, Kinghorn,strathallan, Kirkcaldy West, Valley, Aberdour, Dysart, Glenrothres,
Pupils are offered a full range of courses from 5-14 in S1/ S2, through Standard Grade to National Qualifications at Intermediate, Higher and Advanced Higher levels.
A high staying on rate is reflected in large numbers gaining employment, training or Further or Higher Education.
A wide range of extracurricular activities is on offer. These include sport, music, drama and chess. Pupils also have the opportunity of foreign travel through ski trips, visits to historical sites, school exchanges and participation in World Challenge Expeditions.
Since 1999 the school has offered an annual trip to Paris for S5-6 pupils and since 2003 a biennial language study trip to St Omer in Northern France for pupils in S1-3. There is also an annual visit to the Cologne Christmas Markets for S3 pupils learning German.
Pupil representatives are elected to year councils and the whole pupil council meets with the rector once a term. Working groups tackle whole-school issues.
The school originally won a Charter Mark Award for excellence in public service in 2001, this has now been renewed. The school also has the Schools Curriculum Award.
Recently pupils in an Alternative Curriculum Group won a Fife Excellence Award and the magazine club won the Scotsman/Royal Bank of Scotland ‘Design a Newspaper’. More recently, a Young Enterprise company in the school scooped two of the three trophies. Pupils and staff take part in regular fund-raising for Save the Children.
Balwearie holds a biennial School Musical performed in the main by its pupils. Teachers, including the current rector, have been known to make cameo appearances on several occasions. Past productions include Oliver Twist, Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, Calamity Jane, South Pacific, Me and My Girl (2006) and most recently Anything Goes (2008). The school have recently performed Grease in June 2010.
Several of the lead performers in these school shows have gone on to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Balwearie is supported by a School Board and a Parent Council – the Balwearie High School Association. The Balwearie High School Association provides volunteers for many of the school's social events, including the biennial School Musical.
The school's motto is "To Strive, to Seek", taken from the final line of Tennyson's Ulysses. The line ends "...to find, and not to yield."
In February 2008 the school had undergone an inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education(HMIe),[2] receiving excellent reports in numerous areas.