Leith Academy

Leith Academy
Leith Academy
Location
	20 Academy Park; Edinburgh, EH6 8JQ; Scotland
Information
Type	State school
Motto	Persevere
Religious affiliation(s)	Non-denominational
Established	1560; 465 years ago
Local authority	Edinburgh City
Head Teacher	Mike Irving (2017–present)
Staff	120 (2017)
Gender	Mixed
Age	12 to 18
Enrolment	1000 (2021/22)
Houses	Barton; Cowan; Port; Anderson
Colour(s)	Blue ;
Website	https://leithacademy.uk/
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Leith Academy is a state school in Leith, Edinburgh. It currently educates around 1000 pupils and around 2,800 part-time adult learners.^[1] Mike Irving has been head teacher since August 2017.^[2]

History

It is one of the oldest schools in Scotland, with its founding usually credited to 1560, though there are records of a Leith grammar school as early as 1521 ("maister of the gramer scule of Leith").^[6] To begin with the school was under the control of the kirk session of South Leith Parish Church. It remained so until 1806. It is not known where the school met until 1636 when records make reference to meeting in Trinity House. The school met there until 1710 when, after a disagreement about rent, the kirk session decided to move the school to King James hospital which stood on what is now South Leith Parish churchyard.

In 1792 the kirk agreed to a purpose-built building for the school. The building, by Robert Burn, beside Leith Links, was completed in 1806. The school changed its name to Leith Academy in 1888. The Leith Links school was demolished and replaced by a new building opened in 1898. In turn, due to continued growth in the number of pupils, by 1931 a new building was required and the school on the Duke Street site was built. The Links building is now used as Leith Primary School. The Duke Street school was used as part of Queen Margaret University College and has been (2014) converted to flats. The school's current building, off Easter Road, was completed in 1991 after much campaigning by staff, students and parents.

The school was founded by South Leith Parish Church, and strong links remain to this day, with the school's annual Christmas service being held there.

Building

The current Leith Academy building was completed in May 1991. The building incorporated the design principles of "planning for change" developed by the OECD Programme on Educational Building (PEB).^[7] It features an innovative design based around a "Main Street" leading from one end of the school to the other with all departments and facilities, including a swimming pool, leading off it. The Main Street has a glass roof and is lined on either side by plants. These plants were featured on the BBC Television programme The Beechgrove Garden.^[8]

In 2016 the school played host to the BBC's The Big Questions.^[9]

Notable alumni

Mark Bonnar, actor
Kitch Christie, South African rugby union coach
Frederick Coutts, General from 1963 to 1969 of the Salvation Army
Frank Doran, British Labour MP (Aberdeen North), married to Joan Ruddock
Leigh Griffiths, footballer
Sir Peter Heatly CBE, Chairman from 1982 to 1990 of the Commonwealth Games Federation
David McLetchie, politician
Andrew McNeil, footballer
John David McWilliam, Labour MP for Blaydon (1979–2005)
Douglas Millings, tailor
Suzanne Mulvey (formerly Malone) International footballer
Prof Tom Patten CBE,^[10] Vice-Chancellor from 1980 to 1981 of Heriot-Watt University, Professor of Mechanical Engineering from 1967 to 1982, and President from 1991 to 1992 of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Jamie Sives, actor
David Torrance, journalist
Unicorn Kid, (Oliver Sabin), musician
Jock Wilson (1903–2008), oldest D-Day veteran^[11]
Walter Balmer Hislop, artist

Grammar School

John Home, minister and writer.
Robert Jameson, naturalist and mineralogist.
Andrew MacDonald, poet

Notable former staff

Peter Comrie FRSE (d.1944) mathematician, Rector 1922-33
Dr John Mackie FRSE (d.1955) maths teacher then rector, 1933-53^[12]
J K Rowling (b.1965) bestselling author of the Harry Potter series, foreign languages teacher 1990s.
John W Tait FRSE (1862-1932) rector for over 20 years including the First World War^[13]

References

^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Secondary schools - Leith Academy". The City of Edinburgh Council. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
^ School Prospectus. Retrieved in November 2022.
^ [1]. Retrieved in November 2022.
^ School Prospectus. Retrieved in November 2022.
^ "Extracts from the Records: 1521". British History Online. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
^ "An Innovative School Revisited: Leith Academy and the projects that followed" (PDF). PEB Exchange. 2004.1 (51). OECD: 14. February 2004.
^ "Creates Healthy Working Environments - Testimonials". In-Plants. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
^ "The Big Questions". BBC. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
^ "Tom Patten". Heritage.imeche.org. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
^ "Real Lives - D-Day landings hero celebrates 105th birthday". The Scotsman. 6 September 2008. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2008. Jock attended Leith Academy before starting work as a stationer and nib maker in 1917.
^ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
^ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2017.

External links

55°58′1.90″N 3°9′59.64″W / 55.9671944°N 3.1665667°W / 55.9671944; -3.1665667

[1] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[2] "Secondary schools - Leith Academy". The City of Edinburgh Council. Retrieved 2 October 2017.

[3] School Prospectus. Retrieved in November 2022.

[4] [1]. Retrieved in November 2022.

[5] School Prospectus. Retrieved in November 2022.

[6] "Extracts from the Records: 1521". British History Online. Retrieved 4 March 2015.

[7] "An Innovative School Revisited: Leith Academy and the projects that followed" (PDF). PEB Exchange. 2004.1 (51). OECD: 14. February 2004.

[8] "Creates Healthy Working Environments - Testimonials". In-Plants. Retrieved 3 March 2012.

[9] "The Big Questions". BBC. Retrieved 20 January 2021.

[10] "Tom Patten". Heritage.imeche.org. Retrieved 3 March 2012.

[11] "Real Lives - D-Day landings hero celebrates 105th birthday". The Scotsman. 6 September 2008. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2008. Jock attended Leith Academy before starting work as a stationer and nib maker in 1917.

[12] Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2017.

[13] Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0-902-198-84-X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2017.

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v t e Schools in Edinburgh
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Defunct	Ainslie Park High School Craigmount School Cranley School for Girls Edinburgh Collegiate School James Mundell's School John Watson's Institution London Street Primary School Scotus Academy St Margaret's School

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Leith Academy
Location

20 Academy Park Edinburgh , EH6 8JQ Scotland
Information
Type	State school
Motto	Persevere
Religious affiliation(s)	Non-denominational^[3]
Established	1560; 465 years ago (1560)
Local authority	Edinburgh City
Head Teacher	Mike Irving (2017–present)
Staff	120 (2017)^[4]
Gender	Mixed
Age	12 to 18
Enrolment	1000 (2021/22)^[5]
Houses	Barton Cowan Port Anderson
Colour(s)	Blue
Website	https://leithacademy.uk/