Development Trust's "Go4SET" competition and another finalist place in the Scottish Education Awards On 22 February 2017, the school received a visit from Stonewall Ambassador Sir Ian McKellen. Sir Ian spoke to the S6 about his experiences before having lunch with the school LGBT+ Group. Sir Ian was awarded a Kirkclady High School tie which he wore on The Graham Norton Show. In 2018, the school won a second COSLA Excellence Award for their work tackling LGBT+ bullying and promoting equality across the school as well as taking training to a number of local and national organisations. In 2020, the school was awarded "Gold" status as a UNICEF "Rights Respecting School" and was awarded the "Gold" Charter by LGBT Youth Scotland. House system The pupils of Kirkcaldy High School are organised into four different houses. Originally the House system was named after areas of Kirkcaldy – Balwearie, Raith, Ravenscraig & St. Serfs. Now the houses are named after famous persons of the town. Oswald (green) – Named after an old Kirkcaldy family, at one time associated with the Dunnikier estate, on which the school is now sited. Adam Smith (purple) – Named after the economist who wrote The Wealth of Nations and attended the school in the eighteenth century. Carlyle (blue) – Named after the writer Thomas Carlyle who taught at the school between 1816 and 1818. Former rectors Derek Allan: 2009–2022 Notable former pupils Gordon Aikman, motor neurone disease campaigner Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister John Buchan, author David Raitt Robertson Burt, zoologist Bob Carruthers, filmmaker and author Harry Colville, footballer William Barron Coutts FRSE, military scientist Ewan Dow, politician Douglas Dryburgh, Olympic curler Murray Elder, Baron Elder, life peer and political chief of staff Robert Fyfe, actor Harry Gourlay, politician John Grahl, economist Sandy Hinshelwood, rugby international Archie Howie, physicist Bob Howie, rugby international Dave Howie, rugby international William Oliphant Hutchison, painter Jackie Leven, musician Val McDermid, novelist Alan Ormrod, cricketer Richard Park, broadcaster Aileen Paterson, author Harry Ritchie, author Meg Ritchie, Olympic athlete Anneila Sargent, astronomer Adam Smith, economist Shirley-Anne Somerville, politician R.C. Stevenson, rugby player Melissa Terras, professor Brian Thomson, journalist Andrew Weir, 1st Baron Inverforth, industrialist Bertha Wilson, Canadian Supreme Court Judge References External links Official school site Kirkcaldy High School's page on Scottish Schools Online Kirkcaldy High School on Twitter Secondary schools in Fife Educational institutions established in 1852 Kirkcaldy 1852 establishments in