Harlaw Academy

Infobox scottish primary, secondary and nursery school
name= Harlaw Academy


image size=
caption=
principal=
rector=
headteacher= Mr John Murray
type= State coeducational
location= Albyn Place, Aberdeen AB10 1RG, Scotland
coordinates= coord|57|8|32|N|2|7|0|W
founded= 1874 (current location 1893)
motto= by Learning and Courtesy
mascot=
school colours= navy blue
age range= 11 - 18 years
primary years taught=
secondary years taught= S1 - S6
nursery years taught=
number of pupils= 950 (approx)
number of staff= 85 (approx)
website=

Harlaw Academy is a six year comprehensive secondary school situated some 200 yards from the junction of Union Street and Holburn Street in the centre of the city of Aberdeen, Scotland close to Aberdeen Grammar School. The Academy draws most of its pupils from its associated primary schools, namely, Broomhill, Ferryhill and Kaimhill, although many children come from other primary schools. John Murray has been headteacher since 1993, and has served in some capacity before that.

Originally founded as the "Aberdeen High School for Girls" in 1874, the first school building was raised at Little Belmont Street. The first building at 19 Albyn Place was designed by Archibald Simpson, a prominent architect of the late 1800s. Harlaw originally had a primary department but this was phased out and the last primary pupils moved up in 1972. One hundred years after the school was established, Harlaw become co-educational and began admitting boys in 1974.

Examinations are offered at Standard, Intermediate, Higher and Advanced Higher levels.

History

The school began its life in 1874 in the buildings in Little Belmont Street previously known as the Town Schools, later the English School. It was an elementary school in receipt of a Government grant but there was an understanding that its status would be altered if the demand for higher education should warrant it. In practice its secondary work started in 1878 and in March 1881 the School Board, by a resolution in terms of the Education (Scotland) Act of 1872, declared the school a Higher-Class School. Its name was changed from The English School to the Aberdeen High School for Girls.

In 1891 Mrs. Elmslie's Institution at 19 Albyn Place was bought for the school. This house was built by Archibald Simpson. After alteration to the interior the school moved there in 1893. As the school grew, extensions were made. 18 Albyn Place was acquired in 1920 and after a destructive fire in 1935 major reconstructions were planned. These were completed after the Second World War. This work was undertaken by Mr J. A. O. Allan and Mr D. J .A Ross for the Corporation of Aberdeen; it is to them that we owe the Hall, which matches the dignity and proportion the fine Simpson exterior of the mid-nineteenth century.

The Former Pupils' Club established a fund for the acquisition of a playing field, and by the efforts of the Club and School a considerable sum was raised to help to build and equip the pavilion at the Playing Field at Hazlehead.

From 1874 until 1912 Mr. John McBain, M.A., was Headmaster of the School. He was succeeded by Miss L. L. Ward, B.A., who had been Lady Elf of the School since 1894. By 1929, when Miss Ward retired, the size of the school had increased considerably. Her successor, Miss B. M. Rose, M.A., L.L.D., piloted the school through the hazards of the Second World War, the rebuilding programme, and the changes that came with the abolition of fees in 1947. When she retired in 1954 the school had over 1 000 pupils and a steadily increasing number of girls from First to Fourth Year were going on to University, Colleges and other institutions for further education.

Miss Rose was succeeded by Miss M. McNab , M.A., whose years of office saw great changes in organisation, two of which were radical. One was the phasing out of the primary department, which ceased to exist at the end of Session 1970-71, with an accompanying gradual increase in the number of secondary pupils. The other arose from the planning of the city's area comprehensive system which brought about in 1970 the changing of the school's name to Harlaw Academy and the first unselective entry, of girls only, from four neighbouring primary schools. On Miss McNab's retirement in July, 1971, Mr. Alexander Chalmers, B.Sc., became Headmaster and early in the new session plans began to be made for Ruthrieston Secondary School to become part of Harlaw Academy the following Session, ceasing to be a separate entity on the retiral of Mr. Garden on 24th November, 1972.

Ruthrieston Secondary School was the oldest of its type in Aberdeen, having become a school solely for post-primary pupils in 1922. It had been established as an all-age village school in the nineteenth century. Until 1954 only a three-year course was provided; thereafter fourth-year pupils were presented for appropriate examinations and, after 1962, for the S.C.E Ordinary Grade examinations, with opportunity for the S.C.E Higher Grade examinations to be studied at one of the Grammar Schools or Senior Secondary Schools.

By 1973 the total school roll was over 1 750 making it the largest school in Aberdeen. Since the incorporation of Ruthrieston Secondary School, Harlaw Academy was now a co-educational, comprehensive secondary school and still is to this day. Mr. Chalmers was succeeced in 1985 by Mr. Norman Horne who was followed by Mr. John Murray in 1993. As of 2007, the total school roll stands at just over 950 pupils.

Head teachers

Past and present head teachers include :
* John McBain 1874-1912
* Lucy Ward 1912-1929
* Beatrice Rose 1929-1955
* Margaretta McNab 1955-1971 (name changed to Harlaw Academy)
* Alexander Chalmers 1971-1985
* Norman Horne 1985-1993
* John Murray 1993-2009
* Elanore Garrow 2009-

Alumni

Notable alumni include:

* Annie Lennox, singer and member of the musical group Eurythmics
* Lisa Milne, Scottish opera singer [http://www.goldbergweb.com/en/interpreters/vocals/10618.php]
* Nan Shepherd (1893–1981), modernist novelist and poet
* Nanette Milne (Member of the Scottish Parliament)
* Elaine Thomson (Member of the Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen North 1999-2003)
* Dr. Mary Esslemont (BMA), whom the Mary Esselemont Group (MEG), an Aberdeen city healthcare group was named after [http://www.gpct.org.uk/gp/gpweb.cfm?ID=55]
* Ray Michie (1934–2008), Baroness Michie of Gallanach, MP for Argyll and Bute and Liberal Democrat spokewomen on Scotland
* Sonia Dresdel, film and television actress between the 1940s and 70s. [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0237520/]
* Elizabeth (Bessie) Craigmyle, poet and translator 1863-1933

References

* [http://www.slaq.org.au/News/2003/e-mail%20around%20the%20world/harlaw_academy_aberdeen_scotland.htm Harlaw Academy: E-mail Around the World]
* ACC Learning and Leisure, Academic Year 2003–2004.
* Burnett, Irene. Former school administrator during the transition from a girls' school to coeducational.
* Community Planning in Aberdeen, [http://www.communityplanningaberdeen.org.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=1002&sID=234 Neighborhood Profiles S05 Garthdee] (PDF document)

External links

* [http://www.scottishschoolsonline.gov.uk/schools/harlawacademyaberdeencity.asp Harlaw Academy's page on Scottish Schools Online]