Ardrossan Academy

Coordinates: 55°38′41″N 4°47′59″W / 55.6447°N 4.7997°W / 55.6447; -4.7997

Ardrossan Academy is a Scottish secondary school, opened in October 1882, serving Ardrossan, with pupils also coming from nearby Saltcoats, West Kilbride, Seamill, and other areas.

Annual events

The school holds their annual prize-giving ceremony in June of every year. This usually takes place in the assembly hall where typically the head teacher will give a speech, before prizes are awarded. The school band will often play at this event.

Various departments may hold trips to locations such as London or Blackpool. There is also a ski trip available.

The school holds an annual fête which takes place in the adjacent Jack's Park.

Like many schools, Ardrossan Academy holds an annual senior prom for S6 (final year) pupils.

History

Ardrossan Academy was founded in the 1882-83 academic year and was the first school in the area to provide secondary education. For the first 50 years of its history Ardrossan Academy was situated on South Crescent Road, this was advantageous as it was close to railway stations, which made it easy for pupils outside Ardrossan to attend the school.

In 1933, the school population had expanded to an extent that a new site was required. Ardrossan Academy moved to its current location on Sorbie Road with its official opening on 6 October 1933.

Many ex-pupils from Ardrossan Academy fought in the First World War in 1914 and the Second World War in 1939. The 54 ex-pupils who died in the First World War and the 66 who died in the Second World War have their names recorded on the war memorial in the schools assembly hall. During this time, the school grew vegetables in the school garden and raised £23,000 to aid in the war effort.

After the war during 1945 and 1969, Ardrossan Academy Primary School, which pupils had to pay money to attend, was situated on the site on Sorbie Road. The Secondary School itself was only open to pupils who passed the qualifying examination at the end of primary seven. The entire secondary school was situated in the old sandstone building and a number of huts.

Following a government decision in the 1960s to abolish selective education and send all pupils from the same area to the same school, the school population increased drastically. This led to the closure and demolition of the primary school and the construction of two new blocks of classrooms, a dining hall and a P.E. complex on site. These new buildings were opened in 1971.

Notable alumni

• June Andrews, nursing expert, director of NHS Scotland Centre for Change and Innovation, professor of dementia studies at University of Stirling^[2]
• Peter Duncan, MP, chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party^[3]
• Janice Galloway, Writer (The Trick is to Keep Breathing, etc)
• William Hilton, MP, trade unionist, director general of the Federation of Master Builders^[4]
• Gordon Jackson, MSP, lawyer^[5]
• Edith MacArthur, actress^[5]
• Iain McNicol, General Secretary The Labour Party
• Roy Howat, Internationally renowned French music scholar and performer

Notable Staff

• John Watt Butters FRSE (1863-1946), noted mathematician, was Rector 1899-1928^[6]
• John Aitkenhead, teacher, co-founder of Kilquhanity School^[7]
• Morag Aitkenhead (Robina Roy MacKinnon), teacher, co-founder of Kilquhanity School^[8]

References