All Topics  
Thurso High School

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Thurso High School
 
 
  Topics Thurso High School Topic Home

Thurso High School in Thurso
Thurso

Thurso is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland Council areas of Scotland of Scotland. Historically, the town is one of two burghs within the Counties of Scotland of Caithness....
, Caithness
Caithness

Caithness is a registration county, Lieutenancy areas of Scotland and historic Local government in Scotland of Scotland. The name was used also for the Earl of Caithness and the Caithness of the Parliament of the United Kingdom ....
, Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
, is the most northerly secondary school on mainland Great Britain.

The Highland Council employs about 75 staff which work at the school. the current rector is Dr F Grant and the deputy rectors are K Mackay, K Murphy, L McAuslan and C Omand.

The school presently (autumn 2008) has just over 900 students.

954 Basil Spence & Partners, along with Caithness County Architect William Wilson, were commissioned by the Thurso County Council to build a new high school.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Thurso High School'
Start a new discussion about 'Thurso High School'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Thurso High School in Thurso
Thurso

Thurso is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland Council areas of Scotland of Scotland. Historically, the town is one of two burghs within the Counties of Scotland of Caithness....
, Caithness
Caithness

Caithness is a registration county, Lieutenancy areas of Scotland and historic Local government in Scotland of Scotland. The name was used also for the Earl of Caithness and the Caithness of the Parliament of the United Kingdom ....
, Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
, is the most northerly secondary school on mainland Great Britain.

The Highland Council employs about 75 staff which work at the school. the current rector is Dr F Grant and the deputy rectors are K Mackay, K Murphy, L McAuslan and C Omand.

The school presently (autumn 2008) has just over 900 students.

History and Building

In 1954 Basil Spence & Partners, along with Caithness County Architect William Wilson, were commissioned by the Thurso County Council to build a new high school. A large green-field site was chosen on the east side of County Road (now designated as Ormlie Road), to the south of the town. Officially opened in October 1958, Thurso High School is the most northerly secondary school on mainland Great Britain. The main campus is made up of a number of informally grouped buildings of varying heights surrounding a central courtyard.

Each building is given individual surface treatment and a variety of contrasting materials have been used including Caithness stone, polished stone, timber boarding, and concrete slabs.

The school was commissioned in two phases, the first completed in October 1958 and the second begun in May 1959. The reason for the extension to the school was the growth in Thurso and the surrounding area’s population after the development of the Dounreay nuclear power station
Dounreay

Dounreay is the name of a now ruinous castle on the north coast of Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland. The castle is within grounds used by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and the Ministry of Defence , and the site is best known for its five nuclear reactors, three owned and operated by the UKAEA and two by the Minist...
. Although the school was built in anticipation of a population increase, the growth was greater and more rapid than expected, and at its peak Dounreay’s staff of 2,400 people trebled the size of the town.

External links

This is the official website.