Ballymena Academy

Ballymena Academy is a mixed gender, voluntary grammar school in the market town of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1828 as a small provincial school for children in the town and surrounding agricultural hinterland.

The school currently has approximately 1300 pupils and 128 members of staff. The school has 88 acres (360,000 m²) of mature grounds situated on the Galgorm Road, just west of the town centre.

The school motto is Tenax Propositi meaning Steadfast in Purpose.

Following the August 2014 retirement of J. R. Hassard (announced on 19 November 2013), the appointment of Stephen Black (former headmaster at Antrim Grammar School) was announced on 7 March 2013; he became headmaster on 1 September 2014.

Sport is an important part of Ballymena Academy and the school is well known as one of the most successful in Northern Ireland, notably at rugby.

Head of girls' sport is Diane McNeill and head of boys' sport is John Nicholl.

The main boys' sport at Ballymena Academy is rugby. At the Kingspan Stadium, Belfast, the school won the 2010 Ulster Schools Cup final when they beat Belfast Royal Academy 10–7.In 2023 Ballymena Academy took another visit to the Kingspan Stadium where they played against Royal Belfast Academical Institution in the Ulster Schools Cup final. Previous wins were recorded in 1972 and 1981. The school has also won the Subsidiary Shield on seven occasions - more than any other school.

The Medallion (under 15) team has won the Medallion Shield twice, in 1970 and 2018. A share of the shield was secured twice after drawn finals.