| Motto | Aien Aristeuein ("Always excel"), Floreat Academia |
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| Established | 1824 |
| Type | Co-Educational independent school. |
| Rector | Marco Longmore |
| Founder | Henry Cockburn, Leonard Horner and John Russell |
| Students | 51 (Nursery) 273 (Junior School) 454 (Senior School)[1] |
| Location | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Website | www.edinburghacademy.org.uk |
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The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school. It is self-governed and financed, though it remains subject to inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education most recently in 2006.[1]
It was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School. The Junior School is located in Arboretum Road to the north of the city's famous Royal Botanic Garden.
The Edinburgh Academy is now a co-educational day school, boarding having ceased and the transition to co-education having been completed in 2008. The nursery, housed in a 2008 purpose built block on the Junior campus, caters for children from 2 to 5. The Junior School admits children from age 6 to 10 whilst the Senior School takes pupils from age 10 to 18. It has been stressed that, despite the changes, The Academy will remain a small school and small class sizes will remain a priority.
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Foundation
In 1822, the school's founders, Henry Cockburn and Leonard Horner agreed that Edinburgh required a new school to promote classical learning. Edinburgh's Royal High School provided a classical education, but the founders felt that greater provision was needed for the teaching of Greek, to compete with some of England's public schools. Cockburn and Horner recruited John Russell as a co-founder and the three of them, together with other interested parties, put a proposal to the City Council for the building of a new school. The City Fathers gave their approval in 1823 and fifteen Directors were elected, comprising the three founders and twelve other luminaries, including Sir Walter Scott, Sir John Hay and Robert Dundas.
Buildings
The main building of the Senior School, with its Greek Doric frontage, was designed by architect William Burn. The stone used was principally from the nearby Craigleith Quarry. The Foundation Stone was laid in June 1823 and the school opened for the first session in October 1824. Interestingly when looking from Edinburgh Castle the Academy is perfectly obscured from view by the St Stephens Center. It was rumoured that W.H.Playfair who built the St Stephens Church did this out of spite after he had offered to design the Academy's Main Hall but was turned down in favour of Burns. In 1892, new classrooms were built along the western wall of the site, and in 1900, the School Library was opened, followed by the new Science Block in 1909, both along the eastern wall. At the back of the school the Dining Hall, and the Rifle Range beneath it, was opened in 1912 and after the Great War, the Gymnasium was built. This was dedicated as a War Memorial to Edinburgh Academicals (former pupils) who had fallen during the hostilities of 1914 to 1918.[2] A later plaque commemorates ex-pupils who fell in the Second World War.
In 1945, a new building, Denham Green House, was acquired in the Trinity area of Edinburgh. This was used for the junior department (now known as Early Years) of the Preparatory School (now known as The Edinburgh Academy Junior School). In 1960, a new building for the upper three years of the Preparatory School was completed in Inverleith (Arboretum campus). Denham Green's nursery and early years facilities were relocated to purpose built accommodation on the Preparatory school's Arboretum campus in 1987. In 1992, the Rector's residence, Academy House and in 1997, a new Games Hall were constructed on the same campus. The latter was partly funded by money from The Lottery and Sports Council and is for the use not only of pupils in both parts of the school but also of the community in the area. A new computing and music building was completed at the Junior School in 2005 and a new nursery and after school facility in 2008.
At Henderson Row, the property next to the school, No 32, was acquired for administrative use in 1972 and in 1977, the Academy acquired the junior school of Donaldson's College, to the west. This allowed departments to expand and a purpose built Music School was opened on this part of the campus in 1991. In 2005 the 1909 science block was demolished and a new science block, the James Clerk Maxwell Centre, named in honour of the illustrious 19th century scientist and former pupil, was opened on 3 November 2006 by Lord Falconer of Thoroton.[3]
Blair House
Situated in Glen Clova, Angus, Blair House is a centre for learning in the Cairngorms and is a former forestry lodge. Surrounded by the beautiful landscape and wildlife of the glen, it is used for Art and Geography at A-Level and Biology at GCSE. There are yearly also trips for geits (S1 pupils). It is just a short walk from the Cairngorms National Park which includes Glendoll Forest and Corrie Fee nearby. The house is regarded as wonderful opportunity for all at the Academy, staff and pupils alike.
Traditions
The school crest has varied over the years between an 'EA' in a laurel wreath and, in keeping with the classical traditions of the school, the head of Homer. The school cap, long since defunct, always displayed the 'EA' logo. At the start of the twenty-first century the school returned to the 'EA' logo in all circumstances although not without some consternation in parts of the school community. From the foundation of the school, the headmaster has been known as the Rector, a term common to several other Scottish secondary schools. The boys in the youngest year of the Senior School are referred to as Geits, from the Old Scots word for a child, while at the upper end of the school, the prefects are known as Ephors, after the officials of ancient Sparta.
In 1905, the school was divided into four houses or Divisions, Cockburn, named after the founder Henry Cockburn, Carmichael, named after a former teacher, James Carmichael, Kinross, named after a former pupil John Balfour, 1st Baron Kinross, and Houses, representing the boys who lived in the boarding houses.
At one time, schoolboys used to play Hailes, a similar game to shinty, also believed to have been played in the Royal High School. Today the tradition is represented only by an annual match at the end of the school year, when the Ephors play against the other leavers from the seventh year, a match usually played in fancy dress. Alumni of the Edinburgh Academy are known as Academicals, or Accies, a name shared with the Rugby team.
Notable alumni
- Craigie Aitchison painter (EA 1933-7 & 1941-2)
- Frederick M Bailey, celebrated plant collector, discoverer of Mecanopsis baileyi.
- Leslie Balfour-Melville (1854-1937), an outstanding all-round amateur sportsman
- R. M. Ballantyne, children's author, (EA 1835-37).
- Dr Joseph Bell, now recognised as the model for Sherlock Holmes.
- Mike Blair, Scottish Rugby International.
- Ross Rennie Scottish Rugby International
- Guy Berryman, bass player in Coldplay
- John D Burgess, Piper, Double Gold Medallist
- Francis Cadell, explorer of the Murray River in Australia.
- Francis 'Bunty' Cadell, colourist painter.
- Michael Brown (architect) pioneer of landscape architecture in UK
- Nicky Campbell, radio DJ and television presenter, (EA 1966-78).
- Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Cunningham, victor of Taranto and Matapan during the Second World War.
- William Cunningham, economist
- Tam Dalyell, former Father of the House of Commons.
- Lord Francis Douglas, with Whymper on the ascent of the Matterhorn, died on the descent.
- Charles Falconer, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, Lord Chancellor.
- Alexander Penrose Forbes, who became Bishop of Brechin, (EA 1825-32).
- Charles Fulton, politician embroiled in the Profumo scandal (EA 1934-9).
- Iain Glen, actor (EA 1965-78).
- John Scott Haldane, physiologist (EA 1870-76).
- Richard Burdon Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane, Lord Chancellor, 'Father of the Territorial Army' (EA 1866-72).
- Sir James Hector, explorer and member of the Palliser Expedition, (EA 1844-45).
- Fleeming Jenkin, professor of engineering, (EA 1875-81).
- Paul Jones, singer, actor and presenter, (EA 1958-60).
- James Eckford Lauder, artist of outstanding note who painted James Watt, (EA 1824-8).
- Robert Scott Lauder jnr., M.D.,(Edinburgh), Physician at Morningside Lunatic Asylum, etc., (EA 1852-8)
- Magnus Magnusson, television presenter, and translator of Icelandic origins, (EA 1935-48).
- Sir James Marjoribanks, career diplomat who presented Britain's successful application to join the European Community in 1967
- James Clerk Maxwell, physicist, (EA 1841-47).
- Will Whitehorn, president of Virgin Galactic.
- Catherine McQueen, model and TV presenter[4]
- Baron James Scott Cumberland Reid, politician and Law Lord.
- William Forbes Skene, Scottish historian, (EA 1826-29).
- William Smith, London Police Commissioner at the time of the Whitechapel murders.
- Sir Ninian Stephen, Governor General of Australia.
- Kenneth Stevenson, Bishop of Portsmouth.
- Robert Louis Stevenson, writer, (EA 1861-63).
- Allen Stewart, designer of the Forth Bridge.
- J. I. M. Stewart, university professor and mystery writer (as Michael Innes)
- Archibald Campbell Tait, who became Archbishop of Canterbury, (EA 1824-27).
- Frederick Guthrie Tait, son of Peter Guthrie Tait, soldier and gifted amateur golfer, (EA 1881-83).
- Peter Guthrie Tait, physicist, (EA 1841-47).
- Iain Torrance, President of Princeton Theological Seminary, (EA 1954-63).
- George Younger, 1st Viscount Younger of Leckie, (EA 1864-67).
Victoria Cross Holders
Nine Edinburgh Academy Alumni have won the Victoria Cross.[5]
- Victoria Cross
- Indian Mutiny
- Bhutan War
- Second Afghan War
- Second Boer War
- Colonel Edward Douglas Browne-Synge-Hutchinson, VC , CB (he also attended United Services College in 1875). He was a Major when he earned his VC.
- First World War
- Second World War
- Rear Admiral Sir Anthony Miers VC, KBE, CB, DSO & Bar
Rectors of the Edinburgh Academy
There have been 18 rectors of The Edinburgh Academy since it was founded in 1824.[2]
- 1824-28: John Williams
- 1828-29: Thomas Sheepshanks
- 1829-47: John Williams
- 1847-54: John Hannah
- 1854-69: James Hodson
- 1869-88: Thomas Harvey
- 1888-1901: Robert Mackenzie
- 1901-10: Reginald Carter
- 1910-26: Robert Ferard
- 1926-31: Hugh Lyon
- 1931-45: Lionel Smith
- 1945-51: George Seaman
- 1951-62: Robert Watt
- 1962-77: Herbert Mills
- 1977-92: Laurence Ellis
- 1992-95: John Rees
- 1995-2008: John Light
- 2008- : Marco Longmore
References
- Magnus Magnusson (1974), The Clacken and the Slate, Collins, London. ISBN 0-00-411170-2
- Edinburgh Academical Club (1995), List of Past and Present Pupils 1824-1995, Edinburgh Academical Club
- Stirling, Bill (1999), 175 Accies, Edinburgh Academical Club
See also
External links
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