Beath High School

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Beath High School is a non-denominational state secondary school in Cowdenbeath, Fife. The school is run by Fife Council and the current roll stands at around 1200 pupils aged from 11 to 18. It serves Cowdenbeath and Kelty and the villages of Crossgates, Hill of Beath and Lumphinnans. Some pupils from Lochgelly and Ballingry attend the school. The current rector is Douglas Young. thumbnailHistoryBeath High School was established in 1910 as Beath Higher Grade School, catering for the children of local people who wished to proceed to higher education. This building was located on Stenhouse Street, close to the town centre. In 1964 a 'modern' school was built on Foulford Road on the edge of the town.From 1964 until 1981 the two buildings operated as separate schools with the new building housing Beath Senior High School and catering for pupils perceived as more academic while the older building, then known as Beath Junior High School, provided a more vocational education up to O-grade standard. Pupils from Beath Junior High, Ballingry Junior High and Auchterderran High had an opportunity to move to Beath Senior High at the end of their 2nd year or for 5th and 6th year if they wished to take 'Higher Grade' qualifications. In 1981 the two schools were combined as Beath High School with the older building acting as an annex for S1 and S2 pupils. The opening of the new Lochgelly High School in 1987 resulted in a significant change in the school catchment area and a reduction in the school roll. This reduction in headcount together with the poor state of repair of the Old Beath building resulted in the closure and, in the 1990s, the partial demolition of the Stenhouse Street building. Part of the Old Beath building can still be seen on Stenhouse Street at the junction with King Street.