Dunfermline High School, Dunfermline

History

Education in Dunfermline can be traced back to the founding of a monastic grammar school within Dunfermline Abbey in 1120. King David I (son of Queen Margaret and Malcolm Canmore) initially put up the money to found a school as part of the wider operations of Dunfermline Abbey in the early 1120s.

In 1468, the will of the Abbot Richard de Bothwell made provision for a house and income for a schoolmaster. Burgh records from 1525 refer to the town school. Town and Abbey schools functioned in parallel until 1560 when the Abbey and its school were destroyed during the reformation. Although the school in the town was established separate from the Abbey, it maintained a strong link.

The makar Robert Henryson was one of the first people to hold the title "Master" of the town school. The school buildings were destroyed by fire in 1624. The school was reconstituted by Queen Anne of Denmark in the 16th century. It is from these people, who shaped the school in the first 800 years of its life, that the house names come from: Canmore, Queen Margaret, Bothwell, and Henryson. Denmark house ceased to exist after restructuring of the school. The school went on to be known as the High School.

In June 1939, a new building opened. When a new building was constructed in 2012, this was demolished to become playing fields.

The school celebrated 500 years since its official foundation in 1968.

In August 2012, the brand new £40 million Dunfermline High School was opened to pupils after many years of planning and construction.

In June 2016 Iain Yuile was announced as Rector of the school.

Catchment Area

The school mainly enrols pupils from primary schools in Dunfermline however certain exceptions do exist.

The school's feeder primary schools are:

Within Dunfermline:

Canmore Primary School

Commercial Primary School

Masterton Primary School

Pitreavie Primary School

St Leonard's Primary School

Outwith Dunfermline:

Limekilns Primary School, Limekilns

Facilities

Facilities include a five-a-side football pitch; a main football pitch; meeting room; free parking spaces on site; sports hall, fitness room and an assembly hall with a stage.

Uniform

The school’s coat of arms is made up of the crest of Malcolm Canmore, Queen Margaret’s Cross and the symbol of Abbot Bothwell. The two main colours featured on the school’s uniform, such as blazers and ties, are black and gold. In 2008, a second 'senior tie' was introduced which features the school's crest.

School motto

The school has two Latin mottos:

Quid agis age pro viribus, meaning "Everything you do, do it with vigour".

Labor Omnia Vincit, meaning "Work conquers everything".

Notable alumni

Denise Coffey, English actress

George Cunningham (1931–2018), Labour MP for Islington South West, then Islington South and Finsbury, 1970–83

Barbara Dickson (born 1947), Singer and actress

Greg Fleming (born 1986), football goalkeeper (notably Gretna, Ayr Utd)

Phil Gallie (1939–2011), Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayr 1992–97 and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the South Scotland region 1999–2007

Ncuti Gatwa (born 1992), actor

Malcolm Grant (born 1944), Anglican priest

Shirley Henderson (born 1965), Scottish actress

Ian Jack (1945–2022), journalist and writer who edited the Independent on Sunday 1991–95 and Granta 1995–2007

Sir William Kininmonth (1904–1988), architect who mixed a modern style with Scottish vernacular

Billy Liddell (1922–2001), Scottish footballer who played his entire professional career with Liverpool F.C.

Tom Nairn (1932–2023), Scottish political theorist of nationalism

Thomas Shaw, 1st Baron Craigmyle (1850–1937), radical Liberal Party politician, MP for Hawick Burghs 1892–1909, and Law Lord 1909–29

James Shearer (1881–1962), architect

Moira Shearer, Lady Kennedy (1926–2006), ballet dancer and actress.