Elgin Academy, Scotland
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| Elgin Academy | |
 Sic Itur Ad Astra (Thus You Shall Go Toward The Stars) |
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| Established | 1801 |
| School type | State school |
| Religious affiliation | Non-Denominational |
| Headteacher | Margaret Cowie |
| Location | Elgin, Moray, Scotland |
| Color(s) | Black, Navy and Wine. |
| Mascot | |
| Homepage | |
Elgin Academy is a secondary school in the city of Elgin, Moray, Scotland. Pupils at this school are in years S1 to S6. It is a mixed school of Non-Denominational religion. At the time of the last annual school census (2005) there were 1028 pupils. The school has a very friendly, relaxed and idiosyncratic atmosphere. The motto of the school is Sic Itur Ad Astra which translates from Latin as "Thus you shall go toward the stars".
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[edit] History
The first Elgin Academy was built on the adjacent corners of Academy Street and Francis Place and it is now the local youth cafe. The second academy, built in 1801, is now Moray College (http://www.moray.ac.uk/). The current Elgin Academy was built in the late 1960s.
[edit] Starting at Elgin Academy
Most of the pupils arrive at Elgin Academy in S1 (First Year) after completing Primary Schools. Many come from the vast selection of nearby primary schools such as Bishopmill Primary, West End Primary, East End Primary and Seafield Primary to name but a few. There are, however, many other pupils who have arrived in later years. Mainly because of the nearby Royal Air Force bases at Kinloss and Lossiemouth.
[edit] Examinations
Standard Grades At Elgin Academy, SQA Standard Grades are nearly always sat in S4 after two years work. Standard Grades may however be phased out in the future and be replaced by the Higher Still system which includes Intermediate 1 and Intermediate 2.
Intermediate 1 and 2 and Access The school has a wide range of Intermediate 1 and 2 and Access courses available from 3rd through to 6th year students.
Highers These exams are undertaken by 5th or 6th year pupils after one years work.
Advanced Highers These courses run depending on interest and numbers of pupils. They run for one year for 6th year pupils.
[edit] Activities Days
Years S1, S2 and S3 partake in three days of activities each year. Some of which take place abroad. In 2006, pupils enjoyed a trip to Holland. In 2005, Blackpool was a very popular trip and pupils attended the local Alton Towers there. Other activities take place in and around Elgin and Moray such as quad-biking, archery, golf and fishing.
[edit] The Building
The current Academy was built in the late 60's. It comprises of several areas.
The Tower Block The Tower Block is currently the tallest building in Moray and comprises of seven floors with "The A Floor" being the lowest level and "The F Floor" being the highest. Each floor in the tower block is given to a particular subject except "A" which contains a variety of subjects such as Biology, Computing, Religious and Moral Education, Home Economics, etc. B - Chemistry C - Physics D - Drama E - Social and Vocational Studies F - Art
There is also a station on top of the tower block which is used mainly by the Geography department to study the weather and other geological factors.
There are two stairwells in the tower block, one for those travelling upwards and one for those travelling down. There are approximately 12 steps between floors and they have a tedious reputation for being tiring to climb. Luckily, the teachers, those with a disability and/or wheelchair and those with an appropriately signed lift pass may make use of the two available lifts, mainly accessed from the A floor.
The X&Y Floors The X floor is situated below the Y floor.
The X floor is on the same level as the Assembly Hall and Reception but is raised off the ground on large "stilts". The section under the X&Y floors has been, for decades, been colloquially called "The Skins".
The Basement The basement is not, as its name suggests, situated underground. It houses the two common rooms -one for S6 and another for S5 - and are used purely for social purposes at lunchtime, at interval, before and after school. They house the lockers for both years. Access to these rooms requires a deposit by the two year groups, which is usually refunded at the end of the year if no damage to the rooms has been caused. The basement also houses the First Aid room and School Doctor's (Dr. Mark Swinglehirst) room. It also contains the office of Deputy Head Teacher Mrs. Rennie as well as the entrance/exit door for S5/6
Theft
A major incident of theft occurred in the 5th Year Common Room between the 8th and 12th of December. There are many theories and speculation surrounding the theft of a line-in cable, a power supply and a speaker for the soundsystem. Their safe return is awaited.
[edit] Awards
The Elgin Academy Awards Ceremony is almost always annually held the day before the summer holidays begin (usually the 30th June if the Summer Holidays on the 1st of July, which most of the time they do) The Dux of Elgin Academy This award is presented to the sixth-year pupil with the best performance across all undertook subjects.
The Dux of S5 This award is presented to the fifth-year pupil with the best performance across all undertook subjects.
Merits Merits are awarded for general good work and behavior or sometimes for completing a more specific task. Merits are recorded in each pupil's student planner and on the completion of a set number of pages certificates are awarded.
[edit] Music
Elgin Academy has a good history of music with a flourishing orchestra and a yearly talent show, held before the break in October.
[edit] Life After Elgin Academy
Many former Academy pupils go to the local Moray College which is situated about a mile and a half away. Others progress to universities such as Aberdeen University, Edinburgh University or University of Paisley.
[edit] Headteachers of Elgin Academy
Mr. Alistair Brown
Mr. Alistair Brown served the school as headteacher for 5 years left in October 2006 and was succeeded by Margaret Cowie from Berwickshire who joined December 2006.
Mr. Alastair Rossetter served as Acting Headteacher during the changeover period.
Margaret Cowie
Margaret Cowie is the first ever woman to head the school.
