Braidhurst High School was established in 1962, making it one of the more modern secondary schools in Motherwell. Indeed, the school has recently undergone modernization works, with the pink and yellow panels replaced by a glass-exterior. In 1974, Braidhurst would convert into a six-year comprehensive school, which it has remained since.
Facilities
The school contains the two-storey main building, containing amenities such as library, gymnasiums, theatre/assembly hall and cafeteria, and is adjoined to a four-storey tower block, containing additional learning facilities such as a computer suite. There are also wet-weather facilities for pupils based within the main building of the school. A large indoor sports barn is also available, which is a facility capable of hosting indoor sporting events such as football, volleyball and basketball, as well as being a venue for sports clubs and physical education classes. Dressing room and shower facilities are also based inside the barn. Recently, the school has undergone some upgrades, and that includes the installation of an outdoor, full-size, floodlit, astroturf pitch that is used by the school and the wider community. There are also dressing room and shower facilities built nearby the outdoor facility. The School is also ideally located near the Greenlink Cycle Path, a direct route from Strathclyde Park to Motherwell Town Centre.
Recognition
The new outdoor playing fields have meant that in 2008, Braidhurst became a designated Scottish Football Association School of football facility, one of six facilities with this status in Scotland. This meant that young footballers all around Lanarkshire could apply for a place in Braidhurst through the initiative. They would then win the SFA Quality Mark Award for outstanding educational provision. They have also been awarded the National Sports Comprehensive Status. In 2012, the school was selected as the Lanarkshire base for the SFA's Performance Schools, a system devised to support the development of the best young talented footballers across the country. As of 2017, the dedicated coach for the young players at Braidhurst is Andy Goldie. The school has also been a winner of the Customer Service Excellence award on three occasions, for excellent public service. This is further strengthened by the wide range of clubs and activities that the school offers on a yearly basis. An HMIe Report, commissioned on 19 January 2010, stated that it noted various strengths within the school. Some of the strengths included the high level of climate for learning, the politeness of the pupils, the pupils overall good behavior, the many examples of good leadership throughout the school and the sense of identity through the schools status as a sports comprehensive and school of football. The academy teams of Motherwell Football Club use the school's sports facility for training purposes.
Catchment area
As well as being a secondary school for the Forgewood suburb of Motherwell, Braidhurst is also in the catchment area of other areas of Motherwell including North Motherwell, Jerviston and even Mossend. Pupils usually get transferred to Braidhurst from Muir Street Primary, Calder Primary and Logans Primary.
