Edinburgh Academical
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| Motto | Αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν (Greek) (Ever to Excel) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1824 |
| Type | Independent school |
| Rector | Barry Welsh |
| Founders | Henry Cockburn, Leonard Horner and John Russell |
| Location |
Henderson Row Edinburgh EH3 5BL Scotland |
| Local authority |
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education City of Edinburgh |
| Students | 93 (Nursery) 372 (Junior School) 552 (Senior School) |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 2–18 |
| Houses | Carmichael Cockburn Houses Kinross |
| HMIE Reports | Report |
| School Song | Floreat Academia |
| Former Pupils | Edinburgh Academicals |
| Website | www.edinburghacademy.org.uk |
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which 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 on Arboretum Road to the north of the city's Royal Botanic Garden.
The Edinburgh Academy was originally a day and boarding school for boys. It ceased boarding and transitioned to co-education in 2008 and is now a fully coeducational day school. 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.
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.
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. 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 World War I, 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. The memorial was by Pilkington Jackson. A later plaque commemorates ex-pupils who fell in the Second World War.
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