Glenrothes - Education

Education

Early precincts in the town were served by their own primary schools which were to be provided on the basis of one school for every 1,000 houses. The first primary school to be opened in Glenrothes was Carleton Primary School, built in 1953 in Woodside. In total thirteen primary schools were developed in the town, twelve of which are non-denominational and one which serves catholic pupils.

There are three secondary schools in Glenrothes, the earliest of which is Auchmuty High School, opened in 1957. Secondary Schools were to be provided on the basis of one school for every 4,000 houses. Glenwood High School was built in 1962 to serve the western precincts. Prior to 1966 older pupils had to attend schools in neighbouring towns to continue "Higher" examinations as Auchmuty and Glenwood only provided for pupils at junior secondary level. Glenrothes High School was built in 1966 to accommodate pupils at a higher level. However changes in the education system nationally meant that both Auchmuty and Glenwood were raised to full high school status in the 1970s. Auchmuty High School serves the east and southern parts of Glenrothes as well as the villages of Markinch, Coaltown of Balgonie and Thornton. As part of the £126 million Building Fife's Future Project, construction has started on a replacement for Auchmuty and this is scheduled to open in August 2013. Glenrothes High School serves the central and northern areas in the town. Glenwood High School serves the western parts of Glenrothes and the villages of Leslie and Kinglassie. Catholic pupils in Glenrothes attend St Andrew's High School in Kirkcaldy.

Further education in the town is provided at Adam Smith College which was created in 2005 from the merger between the former Glenrothes College and Fife College, which was based in Kirkcaldy and is Scotland's third largest college. The Glenrothes campus was constructed in the early 1970s, and originally specialised in paper manufacturing, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. A second institute known as FIPRE (Fife Institute of Physical and Recreational Education) was built adjacent catering for sport and physical education as well as providing a sports centre for the town. The main campus of the college is located at Stenton Road in Viewfield to the south of the town centre. A smaller campus also exists within the Southfield Industrial Estate. The Stenton Road Campus was significantly extended in 2010 with the development of the "Future Skills Centre". This centre includes new departments in engineering, construction, renewables and science to cater for emerging industries specialising in renewable energy and low carbon technologies as well as provide training for major engineering projects.