Larbert High School

Larbert High School is a six year state, non denominational, school in Stenhousemuir, Scotland. The school is run by Falkirk Council Education Services on behalf of the Scottish Government. In August 2010, the school roll was 1932, and in 2005 the total running costs of the school were £5,852,498 or £3553 per pupil.^[1] The current rector (headteacher) is Jon Reid. Since 1984, the school has had a twinning arrangement with the Gymnasium Michelstadt in the Odenwald area of Germany.

Motto

The school motto is Optimum Sequi, which translated from Latin, means follow the best course in all things.

Overview

Pupils progress to Larbert High School from eight local primary schools, namely:

• Airth Primary School
• Bothkennar Primary School
• Carron Primary School
• Carronshore Primary School
• Kinnaird Primary School
• Ladeside Primary School
• Larbert Village Primary School
• Stenhousemuir Primary School

Buildings

From 1886 to 1977 the school operated on from its primary site on Main Street, Stenhousemuir. Rising school rolls throughout the 1950s saw extensions added to the main building and the moving of departments. In November 1977 a new extension to the school was opened at Carrongrange around half a kilometre from the Main Street campus. In September 1996 the Carrongrange Building was itself extended with the English and Mathematics departments as well as the school library, moving into a new purpose built extension.

From 1977 to 2000 the school operated on a split site basis. The original site contained the majority of the science and technical departments, the modern languages department, religious studies and classics department, home economics department, school assembly hall and swimming pool, and until 1996 the English and Mathematics departments. The Carrongrange site contained the majority of the social science subjects, art, music, physical education, computing studies and business departments and from 1996 the English and Mathematics departments as well as the main school offices and medical bay.

The split site nature of the school meant that, at the change of periods, pupils had to travel, on foot (potentially up to 5 times per day), between the two buildings, which were some distance apart - a fact that was criticised in the 1999 inspection of the school^[2]. In 1998 Falkirk Council opted to consolidate the school on the Carrongrange site, removing the need for students to transfer between different buildings. This was funded by the Private Finance Initiative, (PFI) and construction on the new part of the Carrongrange building commenced in February 1999.

In early 2000 the school was opened on the one site at Carrongrange and the original facilities on Main Street site were demolished, which as of 2006^[update] now comprises a private residential housing development. All existing Main Street departments were moved to their new premises, which included a new swimming pool, music and drama studio as well as school dining facilities, social space and assembly hall.

List of rectors

References

1. ^ Larbert High School Statistical Information for parents - published December 2005
2. ^ HMIE Inspection Report Larbert High School Inspection Report

External links

• Larbert High School website