There has been a senior school in the town for many years, formerly known as Selkirk Grammar School.
Selkirk High School was opened on 12th January, 1897 in the red building which now serves as the Argus Centre. At that time the school was designed to take some 40 students within three classrooms.
The Agriculture Department, which successfully offers a variety of courses involving hands on experience in agriculture and horticulture, still occupies buildings in the grounds of the old school.
Trees, shrubs and flowers, many of them grown in the agriculture department, are attractively planted in areas around the school.
The main section of the school was built in two phases, the older part being completed in 1959 and the most recent addition in 1973.
The Music Department was opened in 1996 and is an impressive building that enables large numbers of students to study music and benefit from the Traditional Music School.
In 1997, to celebrate the school’s one-hundredth birthday, a centenary garden was created in the centre of the main building.
The High School draws youngsters from seven associated primary schools situated in the village of Lilliesleaf, the Ettrick and Yarrow valleys, and the Royal Burgh itself.
The school has a proud tradition not only in academic achievement but also in a wide range of other activities, with former students to be found in all walks of life and corners of the globe.
The Coat of Arms contains elements representing the Town, the Region and the School. The trees represent the Royal Ancient Hunting Forest of Ettrick, of which Selkirk is the centre. The Virgin and Child are taken from the Burgh Coat of Arms, and the open book represents the School. The motto “Trusty and Leal” is from a Common Riding song.
The Coat of Arms is embroidered on the school jersey, poloshirt and sweatshirt.
