Old photograph of Spier's School in Beith in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The school's foundation stone was laid in September 1887 in front of more than 1000 visitors and opened on 22 September 1888 with 140 pupils, mostly from North Ayrshire. The boys were taught apart from the girls until 1893 when the extra costs forced a more liberal approach to emerge. Mr. R. Bruce Lockhart from Waid Academy in Anstruther, Fife, was the first Head Master, followed by Dr Third in 1895. The school administration was in the hands of the Lord Lieutenant of the County, seven representatives of the school boards and the existing trustees as life governors, to be replaced by two heritors of the parish of Beith in due course. The peak school roll was 310 in 1933 and over 350 after new classrooms were added. By 1932 however the school was in financial difficulties and after a prolonged campaign the County Authorities took over the school in 1937. In 1968 the staff consisted of 19 full time and four itinerant teachers in the Secondary department and two in the preparatory. The school had three " houses " to which pupils belonged, Cuff, Spier's and Marshalland. The school closed on 30 June 1972 when a modern Garnock Academy was erected at Kilbirnie, taking in the secondary pupils from Spier's, Kilbirnie Central, and Dalry High.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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