Viewforth High School Explained

Viewforth High School
Motto:In Opere Vigilando
Established:1908
Type:Non-denominational
Head Label:Headteacher
Head:Lisa Moore [1]
Gender:Mixed
Lower Age:11
Upper Age:18

Viewforth High School is a secondary school in East Kirkcaldy, Scotland.[2] It opened in 1908 on Loughborough Road, but later moved to Windmill Road.

History

Viewforth opened on 21 September 1908 with 176 boys and 194 girls enrolled in the school. The first head teacher was Gregor McGregor.

The first female teachers began working at Viewforth during the First World War because of the shortage of male teachers. An extension was built in 1925 and the school name was changed to Viewforth Higher Grade School. This extension was destroyed by fire in January 1938.

Viewforth built a second extension in 1955 which included a new assembly hall, classrooms and a gym. A further extension was built in the 1980s. The school name was changed again in 1980 to Viewforth High School.[3]

In 2005, plans were drawn up for a new school building due to the obsolescence of the existing school buildings and the need to consolidate council properties. Plans were also made to build a replacement school for the rising population of South East Kirkcaldy.[4] Forming part of Windmill Community Campus the school, which remains Viewforth High School, began construction in 2015 and brought together Viewforth High School, Rosslyn School, a local library and local office creating Fife's first community campus.[5] It opened in 2016.[6]

Loughborough Road site

The original school building was made a C listed building in 1998.[7] The architect was David Forbes Smith and it was a Wrenaissance building with separate entrances for boys and girls.[7] The site incorporated Eastbank House, used as a school annex and originally built in 1870.[8] [9] [10]

In 2018 both the 1908 school building and the Annex were identified as Buildings at Risk.[11] [12]

There was a fire on the site in 2017, for which two teenagers were charged.[10] [13] There was another fire in 2020, for which another teenager was charged.[14] [15] There had also been an earlier fire in 1977.[8]

In 2021 a planning application for housing on the site was approved.[16] The developers said that they will use stone from the original buildings in the boundary wall.[16]

Headteachers

Viewforth has had the following headteachers:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Headteacher's Blog. 18 February 2019. en.
  2. Web site: Council. Fife. Viewforth High School - Overview. www.fifedirect.org.uk. 18 April 2017.
  3. Web site: Goodbye to Viewforth High, Kirkcaldy, after 108 years. www.fifetoday.co.uk. 18 April 2017. en.
  4. Web site: Viewforth to close. New secondary to be built. www.fifetoday.co.uk. 18 April 2017. en.
  5. Web site: Name decided for new Kirkcaldy school and community hub. www.fifetoday.co.uk. 18 April 2017. en.
  6. Web site: See inside the new Windmill Community Campus - photo slideshow. www.fifetoday.co.uk. 18 April 2017. en.
  7. Web site: Loughborough Road, Viewforth High School. portal.historicenvironment.scot. 18 April 2017. en.
  8. News: Crow . Allan . Fires have blighted history of Viewforth High School in Kirkcaldy . 28 March 2021 . Fife Today . 16 August 2020.
  9. Web site: Kirkcaldy, Loughborough Road, Eastbank . CANMORE: National Record of the Historic Environment . Historic Environment Scotland . 28 March 2021.
  10. News: Smith . Craig . Fire crews tackle blaze at old Viewforth High building in Kirkcaldy . 28 March 2021 . The Courier . 2 October 2017.
  11. Web site: Viewforth High School, Loughborough Road, Kirkcaldy . Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland . Historic Environment Scotland . 28 March 2021.
  12. Web site: Viewforth High School Annex, Loughborough Road, Kirkcaldy . Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland . Historic Environment Scotland . 28 March 2021.
  13. News: Warrender . Claire . Two teenagers appear in court after Fife high school fire . 28 March 2021 . The Courier . 6 October 2017.
  14. News: Sabljak . Ema . Old Viewforth High School fire: Firefighters tackle major blaze . 28 March 2021 . The Herald . 15 August 2020.
  15. News: Robertson . Aileen . Teen boy, 16, arrested and charged following blaze at former Kirkcaldy school . 28 March 2021 . The Courier . 26 August 2020.
  16. News: Henderson . Neil . Housing plans for fire-ravaged Viewforth High School site given the go-ahead . 28 March 2021 . The Courier . 18 March 2021.
  17. Web site: https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/new-viewforth-high-rector-can-t-wait-to-get-started-1-2791139website=www.fifetoday.co.uk New Viewforth Rector Can't Wait]. 19 February 2019. en.

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