St Columba's Roman Catholic High School, Dunfermline
| St. Columba's R.C High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
Woodmill Road , KY11 4UN Scotland | |
| Information | |
| Type | Secondary School |
| Motto | "Tenui Nec Dimittam", which means, "I will hold and not let go" |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | August 1969 |
| Head Teacher | Michael McGee |
| Depute Head Teachers | Wendy Bricall Karen Kelsey Tracy Guildea Ruairi Mulholland Paddy Langan (Acting) |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Age | 12 to 18 |
| Number of pupils | 850 approx |
| Houses | Mandela Teresa Romero |
| Colour(s) | Purple, Green, Yellow and Blue |
| School years | S1-S6 |
| Diocese | St Andrews and Edinburgh |
| Website | http://stcolumbas.greenhousecms.co.uk/ |
History
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2022) |
The original St Columba's High School was opened in 1922 in Cowdenbeath as a combined Catholic senior secondary for all Fife pupils and a junior secondary for pupils from the immediate Cowdenbeath area. In 1959, the new St Andrew's High School in Kirkcaldy took on the role of the Catholic senior secondary and St Columba's became a junior high school with a catchment area covering Dunfermline and west Fife. The present school buildings were constructed in 1969, at which point the old junior high school in Cowdenbeath was closed. St Columba's celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009.
Under Local Government reorganisation in 1973, authority for the running of St Columba's was transferred from the County Council to the newly formed Fife Regional Council. The school then developed into a six-year Catholic co-educational comprehensive school in line with the Education Authority policy.
The school tie with its Latin motto "Tenui Nec Dimittam", which means, "I will hold and not let go".
Facilities
The subjects taught are split into different facilities each led by a principal teacher, most of which are taught through first and second year. Some subjects are only taught as National 5 or Higher and above. Subjects include:
- Mathematics (Maths, Numeracy)
- Languages (English, Literacy, Media, French, Spanish)
- Expressive & Performing Arts (Art, Music, Music Technology, and Drama)
- Social Subjects (Modern Studies, History, Geography, Childcare, Philosophy)
- Sciences (Chemistry, Biology, Physics)
- Religious Education
- Business & Hospitality Industry (Business & IT, Health and Food Technology)
- Health & Wellbeing (Physical Education, Dance)
- Technologies (Computing Science, Computing Games Development, Engineering, Practical Woodwork, Graphic Communication)
Head teachers
- Jim Mooney: August 2009 - June 2016
- Kevin O'Connor: August 2016 - December 2020
- Michael McGee: January 2021 - Present
Associated Primary Schools
- Holy Name RC Primary School, Oakley.
- St Bride's RC Primary School, Cowdenbeath.
- St John's RC Primary School, Rosyth.
- St Joseph's RC Primary School, Kelty.
- St Kenneth's RC Primary School, Ballingry. (Can also attend St Andrew's RC High School, Kirkcaldy)
- St Margaret's RC Primary School, Dunfermline.
- St Serf's RC Primary School, High Valleyfield.
- St Patrick's RC Primary School, Lochgelly. (Most pupils attend St Andrew's RC High School, Kirkcaldy)
New Campus
A new Dunfermline Learning Campus which would accommodate St Columba's RC High School, Woodmill High School and Fife College's Halbeath Campus is due to open in August 2024, however this could be delayed due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic and securing the site.
Each school will obtain their own identity and headteacher and will share certain facilities such as Dinning Space, Sport Halls, Assembly Hall and Social Spaces.
Fife College will have their own building within the site with security between the college and schools to ensure safety.
Notable pupils
- Richard Jobson (b. 1960) - Singer-songwriter and filmmaker
- Alex Rowley (b. 1963) – Scottish Labour politician
- Gregory Burke (b. 1968) – playwright
- Natalie McGarry (b. 1981) – SNP Politician and former Member of Parliament for Glasgow East
- Jordan Patrick Smith (b. 1989) – Actor
External links
- School info page
- St Columba's R C High School profile on Education Scotland Parentzone
References
- ^ "Fife Council: Schools by region A-Z". www.scotsman.com. 22 April 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ^ "St Columba's R C High School - Overview". www.fifedirect.org.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- ^ "School Visits – Alex Rowley MSP". 18 December 2020. Archived from the original on 18 December 2020.
- ^ "Gagarin Way 'comes home' to West Fife". Dunfermline Press.
- ^ "MP from Inverkeithing charged with alleged fraud". Dunfermline Press.