Aberdeen Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Aberdeen Grammar School, known to students as The Grammar is a state secondary school
in the City of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of twelve secondary schools run by the Aberdeen City Council
educational department. It is the oldest in the city and one of the oldest grammar school
s in the United Kingdom
, with a history spanning 750 years.
Founded around 1257, the year used in official school records, it began operating as a school only for boys. Located on Skene Street, near the centre of the city, it was originally situated on Schoolhill, close to the current site of Robert Gordon's College
. It moved to its current site in 1863, and became co-educational in 1973. From 1970–1977 it was known as Rubislaw Academy, after the nearby Rubislaw area of Aberdeen.
In an annual survey run by the British broadsheet newspaper The Times
, Aberdeen Grammar was rated the 12th best Scottish state secondary school in 2007, and second in Aberdeen behind Cults Academy
.
The most notable alumnus is Lord Byron, the Romantic
poet and writer. A statue of him was erected in the front courtyard of the school. Other alumni include Scottish international footballer
Russell Anderson
and mathematician Hector Munro Macdonald
.
Records of 1418, when the Lord Provost
and Council nominated John Homyll to replace the recently deceased Andrew of Chivas as "Master of the Schools". Originally on Schoolhill, near the site of the current Robert Gordon's College, the curriculum consisted of Latin, Greek and ancient geography.
In 1580, new pupils were reprimanded, under the penalty of £10, if they did not show good behaviour or did not listen to their Magistrate
s or masters. In 1612, the pupils, many of whom were related to the gentry
in the country, rioted with pistol
s and hagbuts, and took over part of the school. The masters got involved and stopped the riot, and 21 pupils were expelled
, while some were arrested. From 1861–1863, the school moved to its current location on Skene Street. A large granite building in Scottish baronial style
was constructed and officially opened on 23 October 1863. This allowed expansion of the curriculum to include English, mathematics, modern languages, art and gymnastics. Other buildings and extensions have been added to the 1863 building since it was built. These include the Modern Language Block (originally a primary school) and the 1960s modern design: west-wing science block, theatre and the dining hall. Originally a fee-paying boys' school it became a council grammar school and then a comprehensive academy
in 1970. It became co-educational after the summer of 1973 when girls were first admitted.
In 1986, the original building was devastated by a fire
, destroying most of the rooms including the large library, a collection of Byron's notebooks, the trophy room and other classrooms, although the historic façade
was mostly undamaged. The school was rebuilt over many years, with modern facilities, while pupils studied in temporary classrooms in the playground. These Portakabins were used by the English and Art Departments.
The school and FPs club own the 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) Rubislaw Playing Fields
at a site about a mile away from the main school building. Shared with the former pupils' club, the location has rugby union
pitches with a stand, football pitches
, grass hockey
pitches and an Astroturf
hockey pitch built in 2005.
In recent years the school has been the site of a number of newsworthy events, including a protest against PETA
, the painting pink of an entire temporary classroom block and, most recently, a bomb threat.
The school marked its 750th anniversary year in 2007 with a series of fund-raising events, the proceeds of which went towards buying a new school minibus
. Also in 2007, work was completed on a new gym
nasium, begun two years previously. The new building is a stark contrast to the remainder of the school, as it has a modern interior compared with the old granite. The building at the Rubislaw Playing Fields was also refurbished in 2008 in much the same style as the gym, and was extended to include four extra changing rooms and a reception area.
The motto is Bon Record. This is not to be confused with that of the City of Aberdeen—Bon Accord—which was first heard of in 1308, over 50 years after the school was founded.
in accordance with the Scottish Executive's educational guidelines
for state schools. In the 1998–99 academic year, the education of each pupil at the Grammar School specifically cost £
2,690.
This is however much less than today, when Aberdeen City Council spent an average of £5,834 per secondary school pupil as a whole in its authority during the 2005–2006 session.
, Intermediate 1
and Intermediate 2
, Higher
and Advanced Higher examinations through the Scottish Qualifications Authority
(SQA). An emphasis is on the more traditional subjects such as mathematics
, English
and modern languages. French
and German
are taught at the school, but Spanish
was discontinued in 2006 due to shortage of staff. Also taught are subject areas such as craft
, design
and technology
, business studies
and the social subjects – modern studies
, history
and geography
.
To conform to government health and fitness regimes, each year must spend two school periods (1 hour 45 minutes usually) per week at the Rubislaw Playing Fields with their year. This is not an optional area of the course, until the sixth and final year. However, in this year it can be selected as an additional subject which is not in any columns on the choice form. The sporting year is split into winter and summer games, with the outdoor sports concentrated on in summer and the indoor in winter. The range of sports covered in the course include rugby, football, hockey, softball, cricket, swimming,tennis and basket ball.
In the session 2006–2007, 43% of fifth- and sixth-year pupils received a qualification equivalent of five Highers or more—a 3% increase on the previous year. It is now ranked 12th equal in Scotland for these qualifications. Furthermore, 64% of fourth-years gained a Standard Grade at Credit level—an increase of 4%. The school is currently ranked 10th in this field. In an annual survey run by the British broadsheet newspaper The Times, Aberdeen Grammar was rated the 19th best Scottish state secondary school in 2005 based on exam results, rising to 16th in 2006 and, most recently, 12th in 2007.
, Mile-End School
, Skene Square Primary School
and St. Joseph's Primary School (a Roman Catholic faith school
). Under the Parent's Charter, children from other areas can attend the school after successful application by parents. However, places using this method are limited for each year.
in the school. These three houses are Byron, Keith-Dun and Melvin. (Keith and Dun were originally separate houses). The house system is limited to mostly sporting events, but the system was revised recently to bring the tradition of school houses back into the everyday running of the school. Competition
s take place between houses, particularly in sport, during the annual inter-house games afternoons. These take place during the month just before Easter
where houses compete in rugby, football and hockey. Recently, under the new rector, other activities have been included into house competitions. The system is also used to identify pupils' register classes.
The school has a strong sporting tradition, and has a particular emphasis on boys' rugby union and girls' hockey. There is a strong link to the former pupils club, who provide extra coaching on some games afternoons and with whom many pupils continue to play for once they leave school. The school has several successful teams, including football, hockey and rugby sides, and in basketball the school has a strong team linked to the former pupils Greywolves team. There is also representation in golf, swimming, badminton, tennis and netball.
The school encourages certain maverick elements through the publication of a self funded sixth year magazine. In this regard groups of pupils - editors - have devised, secured the finance, edited and published annual obscurely named journals (Sagsagas, The Ulimate Deterrent, 100 Degrees Proof, X5 W/D, Red Tape) for sale to the school. Current technology obscures the challenges that this presented in the pre-digital age. Regardless of which, each year produced a profit to support the funding of the subsequent publication. Despite the underground nature of the venture many editors subsequently became establshment figures in the law, politics, medicine and academia.
In keeping with embracing the Scottish Liberal tradition the school's oldest "great offices" are President of the Literary and Debating Society and President of the Dramatic Society. Although colours are usually restricted to sporting prowess in Rugby and Hockey.
The dramatic society has often benefited from external expertise and inspired internal leadership that have resulted in beyond the expectation and years of their young performers. These include Waiting for Godot (1972), Journeys End (1976), Our Town (1976), The Insect Play (1977), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1978) and others. The production values were as high as the personal rewards to the pupils and staff who participated.
A yearly school musical is performed by the Face the Music society; recent performances include Grease
, Annie Get Your Gun
and Snork
– a locally written musical. A solely pupil-run theatre group performs each year as part of the Pied Piper society.
There are musical evenings twice a year that showcase the school's musical talent. There is a concert band
, jazz band
, junior and senior choir
s and a string orchestra. Lessons are available in brass
, woodwind, strings
, piano
, guitar
and percussion, and every pupil is educated in music as part of their curriculum.
Also in the school is a successful debating club, open to all pupils. The club meets weekly in the school's lecture theatre, split into two different age categories—juniors and seniors—and argue over predefined motion
s to match the pupils interests. Participants in each category are given opportunities to represent the school, competing nationally in different tournaments.
One of the unique features up until the 1980s was a weekly film club. This pre-dating of home video and DVD offered the opportunity for pupils and their guests to view out of run films in a professional 16mm dual-projector presentation. The personal enthusiasm of Archie Baxter; a long serving teacher, led to the school being the only one in the UK vapable of offering anamorphic lens projection (Cinemascope) and commercial sound capability. To this end a large professional screen was installed on the stage. End of terms traditionally involved some film presentation.
The Aberdeen Grammar School concert band have achieved an immense amount over the past few years; their most recent accolade was a Platinum award at the Scottish Regional Festival of The National Concert band Festival. In 2009 they won a Gold award at the National Concert Band Festival in Cardiff. They also gained Gold awards at the Scottish Regional Festivals of 2007,2008 & 2009.
The school has a large and active Former Pupils' Club, which has members all over the world and a clubhouse at Queens Road opposite the extensive Rubislaw Playing Fields. The club is home to the largest selection of sports clubs in Aberdeen. These include the Scottish Premier Division rugby team and the Aberdeen GSFP RFC
, who play at Rubislaw Playing Fields.
s who have headed the school.
FP's club:
Rufina Rajendran
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in the City of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of twelve secondary schools run by the Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council represents the Aberdeen City council area of Scotland.The council area was created in 1996, under the Local Government etc. Act 1994...
educational department. It is the oldest in the city and one of the oldest grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
s in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, with a history spanning 750 years.
Founded around 1257, the year used in official school records, it began operating as a school only for boys. Located on Skene Street, near the centre of the city, it was originally situated on Schoolhill, close to the current site of Robert Gordon's College
Robert Gordon's College
Robert Gordon's College is a private co-educational day school in Aberdeen, Scotland. The school caters for pupils from Nursery-S6.-History:...
. It moved to its current site in 1863, and became co-educational in 1973. From 1970–1977 it was known as Rubislaw Academy, after the nearby Rubislaw area of Aberdeen.
In an annual survey run by the British broadsheet newspaper The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, Aberdeen Grammar was rated the 12th best Scottish state secondary school in 2007, and second in Aberdeen behind Cults Academy
Cults Academy
Cults Academy is an Aberdeen City Council secondary school in Cults, Aberdeen, Scotland. It is the recipient of The Sunday Times Scottish State Secondary School of the Year Award 2008 due to its outstanding exam results in the past year , having been rated 3rd in 2005...
.
The most notable alumnus is Lord Byron, the Romantic
Romantic poetry
Romanticism, a philosophical, literary, artistic and cultural era which began in the mid/late-1700s as a reaction against the prevailing Enlightenment ideals of the day , also influenced poetry...
poet and writer. A statue of him was erected in the front courtyard of the school. Other alumni include Scottish international footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
Russell Anderson
Russell Anderson
Russell James Anderson is a Scottish footballer who plays for Championship side Derby County as a cente back...
and mathematician Hector Munro Macdonald
Hector Munro Macdonald
Hector Munro Macdonald FRS was a Scottish mathematician, born in Edinburgh in 1865. He researched pure mathematics at Cambridge University after graduating from Aberdeen University with an honours degree....
.
History
The exact date of the school's founding is unknown, however research done to mark the school's 750th anniversary led to the belief it was formed in c. 1257, which is the date that is now used for official school purposes. The earliest documented date of its existence is in the BurghBurgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
Records of 1418, when the Lord Provost
Lord Provost
A Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities of Scotland. Four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have the right to appoint a Lord Provost instead of a provost...
and Council nominated John Homyll to replace the recently deceased Andrew of Chivas as "Master of the Schools". Originally on Schoolhill, near the site of the current Robert Gordon's College, the curriculum consisted of Latin, Greek and ancient geography.
In 1580, new pupils were reprimanded, under the penalty of £10, if they did not show good behaviour or did not listen to their Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
s or masters. In 1612, the pupils, many of whom were related to the gentry
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
in the country, rioted with pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
s and hagbuts, and took over part of the school. The masters got involved and stopped the riot, and 21 pupils were expelled
Expulsion (academia)
Expulsion or exclusion refers to the permanent removal of a student from a school system or university for violating that institution's rules. Laws and procedures regarding expulsion vary between countries and states.-State sector:...
, while some were arrested. From 1861–1863, the school moved to its current location on Skene Street. A large granite building in Scottish baronial style
Scottish baronial style
The Scottish Baronial style is part of the Gothic Revival architecture style, using stylistic elements and forms from castles, tower houses and mansions of the Gothic architecture period in Scotland, such as Craigievar Castle and Newark Castle, Port Glasgow. The revival style was popular from the...
was constructed and officially opened on 23 October 1863. This allowed expansion of the curriculum to include English, mathematics, modern languages, art and gymnastics. Other buildings and extensions have been added to the 1863 building since it was built. These include the Modern Language Block (originally a primary school) and the 1960s modern design: west-wing science block, theatre and the dining hall. Originally a fee-paying boys' school it became a council grammar school and then a comprehensive academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
in 1970. It became co-educational after the summer of 1973 when girls were first admitted.
In 1986, the original building was devastated by a fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
, destroying most of the rooms including the large library, a collection of Byron's notebooks, the trophy room and other classrooms, although the historic façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
was mostly undamaged. The school was rebuilt over many years, with modern facilities, while pupils studied in temporary classrooms in the playground. These Portakabins were used by the English and Art Departments.
The school and FPs club own the 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) Rubislaw Playing Fields
Rubislaw Playing Fields
Rubislaw Playing Fields in Aberdeen, Scotland is an sports field for Aberdeen Grammar School and for the Scottish Premiership rugby union team Aberdeen GSFP RFC. Of course other sports are played here such as Hockey - at National league Level by , football and cricket.An extension to the existing...
at a site about a mile away from the main school building. Shared with the former pupils' club, the location has rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
pitches with a stand, football pitches
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
, grass hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
pitches and an Astroturf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
hockey pitch built in 2005.
In recent years the school has been the site of a number of newsworthy events, including a protest against PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
, the painting pink of an entire temporary classroom block and, most recently, a bomb threat.
The school marked its 750th anniversary year in 2007 with a series of fund-raising events, the proceeds of which went towards buying a new school minibus
Minibus
A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
. Also in 2007, work was completed on a new gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, begun two years previously. The new building is a stark contrast to the remainder of the school, as it has a modern interior compared with the old granite. The building at the Rubislaw Playing Fields was also refurbished in 2008 in much the same style as the gym, and was extended to include four extra changing rooms and a reception area.
The motto is Bon Record. This is not to be confused with that of the City of Aberdeen—Bon Accord—which was first heard of in 1308, over 50 years after the school was founded.
Present day
Today the school is run by Aberdeen City CouncilAberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council represents the Aberdeen City council area of Scotland.The council area was created in 1996, under the Local Government etc. Act 1994...
in accordance with the Scottish Executive's educational guidelines
Education in Scotland
Scotland has a long history of universal provision of public education, and the Scottish education system is distinctly different from the other countries of the United Kingdom...
for state schools. In the 1998–99 academic year, the education of each pupil at the Grammar School specifically cost £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2,690.
This is however much less than today, when Aberdeen City Council spent an average of £5,834 per secondary school pupil as a whole in its authority during the 2005–2006 session.
Subjects and qualifications
The curriculum is much the same as used for the rest of the Scottish state secondary schools, and provides for a wide range of subjects. Pupils are presented for Standard GradeStandard Grade
Standard Grades are Scotland's educational qualifications for students aged around 14 to 16 years, which are due to be fully replaced in 2014 when Scottish Qualifications Authority's Higher Still system becomes the main qualifications as part of the major shake up of Scotland's education system as...
, Intermediate 1
Intermediate 1
Intermediate 1 is an educational qualification in Scotland on the Scottish Qualifications Authority Scottish Qualifications Certificate achievement ladder similar to General Level at Standard Grades; it is the next step after Access 3...
and Intermediate 2
Intermediate 2
Intermediate 2 level is Level 5 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. Though equivalent to the Credit Level Standard Grade, there is an element of debate to this as it is perceived to be more difficult in some subjects, but less in others....
, Higher
Higher (Scottish)
In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education...
and Advanced Higher examinations through the Scottish Qualifications Authority
Scottish Qualifications Authority
The Scottish Qualifications Authority is a non-departmental public body responsible for accreditation and awarding. It is partly funded by the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate of the Scottish Government, employing 750 staff, based in Glasgow and Dalkeith...
(SQA). An emphasis is on the more traditional subjects such as mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and modern languages. French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
are taught at the school, but Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
was discontinued in 2006 due to shortage of staff. Also taught are subject areas such as craft
Craft
A craft is a branch of a profession that requires some particular kind of skilled work. In historical sense, particularly as pertinent to the Medieval history and earlier, the term is usually applied towards people occupied in small-scale production of goods.-Development from the past until...
, design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, business studies
Business studies
Business studies is an academic subject taught at higher level in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, as well as at university level in many countries...
and the social subjects – modern studies
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
.
To conform to government health and fitness regimes, each year must spend two school periods (1 hour 45 minutes usually) per week at the Rubislaw Playing Fields with their year. This is not an optional area of the course, until the sixth and final year. However, in this year it can be selected as an additional subject which is not in any columns on the choice form. The sporting year is split into winter and summer games, with the outdoor sports concentrated on in summer and the indoor in winter. The range of sports covered in the course include rugby, football, hockey, softball, cricket, swimming,tennis and basket ball.
In the session 2006–2007, 43% of fifth- and sixth-year pupils received a qualification equivalent of five Highers or more—a 3% increase on the previous year. It is now ranked 12th equal in Scotland for these qualifications. Furthermore, 64% of fourth-years gained a Standard Grade at Credit level—an increase of 4%. The school is currently ranked 10th in this field. In an annual survey run by the British broadsheet newspaper The Times, Aberdeen Grammar was rated the 19th best Scottish state secondary school in 2005 based on exam results, rising to 16th in 2006 and, most recently, 12th in 2007.
Pupils and catchment area
About 1160 attend the school each year, between the ages of about 11 to 18. The school's catchment area centres around the west-end of the city, including Rosemount and Mannofield. There are five main primary schools that feed into the school, located throughout the centre and west-end of Aberdeen: Ashley Road Primary School, Gilcomstoun Primary SchoolGilcomstoun Primary School
Gilcomstoun Primary School is an Aberdeen City Council owned and run educational establishment in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of Aberdeen Grammar School's feeder schools....
, Mile-End School
Mile-End School
Mile-End School is a primary school and nursery in Aberdeen, Scotland. It has approximately 500 pupils. The primary school was originally housed in a large Victorian gray granite building on Midstocket Road, while the nursery was on Raeden Park Road, about 10 minutes walk away at the site of the...
, Skene Square Primary School
Skene Square Primary School
Skene Square Primary School is an Aberdeen City Council owned and run educational establishment in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of the main feeder schools to Aberdeen Grammar School....
and St. Joseph's Primary School (a Roman Catholic faith school
Faith school
A faith school is a British school teaching a general curriculum but with a particular religious character or has formal links with a religious organisation. It is distinct from an institution mainly or wholly teaching religion and related subjects...
). Under the Parent's Charter, children from other areas can attend the school after successful application by parents. However, places using this method are limited for each year.
Houses and extra-curricular activities
When starting school pupils are allocated into one of the three housesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
in the school. These three houses are Byron, Keith-Dun and Melvin. (Keith and Dun were originally separate houses). The house system is limited to mostly sporting events, but the system was revised recently to bring the tradition of school houses back into the everyday running of the school. Competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
s take place between houses, particularly in sport, during the annual inter-house games afternoons. These take place during the month just before Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
where houses compete in rugby, football and hockey. Recently, under the new rector, other activities have been included into house competitions. The system is also used to identify pupils' register classes.
The school has a strong sporting tradition, and has a particular emphasis on boys' rugby union and girls' hockey. There is a strong link to the former pupils club, who provide extra coaching on some games afternoons and with whom many pupils continue to play for once they leave school. The school has several successful teams, including football, hockey and rugby sides, and in basketball the school has a strong team linked to the former pupils Greywolves team. There is also representation in golf, swimming, badminton, tennis and netball.
The school encourages certain maverick elements through the publication of a self funded sixth year magazine. In this regard groups of pupils - editors - have devised, secured the finance, edited and published annual obscurely named journals (Sagsagas, The Ulimate Deterrent, 100 Degrees Proof, X5 W/D, Red Tape) for sale to the school. Current technology obscures the challenges that this presented in the pre-digital age. Regardless of which, each year produced a profit to support the funding of the subsequent publication. Despite the underground nature of the venture many editors subsequently became establshment figures in the law, politics, medicine and academia.
In keeping with embracing the Scottish Liberal tradition the school's oldest "great offices" are President of the Literary and Debating Society and President of the Dramatic Society. Although colours are usually restricted to sporting prowess in Rugby and Hockey.
The dramatic society has often benefited from external expertise and inspired internal leadership that have resulted in beyond the expectation and years of their young performers. These include Waiting for Godot (1972), Journeys End (1976), Our Town (1976), The Insect Play (1977), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1978) and others. The production values were as high as the personal rewards to the pupils and staff who participated.
A yearly school musical is performed by the Face the Music society; recent performances include Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
, Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley , who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.The 1946 Broadway production...
and Snork
Snork
Snork may refer to:*Snorks, a comic book, and later a cartoon series that began in the mid 80's and ended by the late 80's.*Snork Maiden, a member of the species known as Snorks and a character in the writings and illustrations of Tove Jansson...
– a locally written musical. A solely pupil-run theatre group performs each year as part of the Pied Piper society.
There are musical evenings twice a year that showcase the school's musical talent. There is a concert band
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
, jazz band
Jazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
, junior and senior choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
s and a string orchestra. Lessons are available in brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
, woodwind, strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and percussion, and every pupil is educated in music as part of their curriculum.
Also in the school is a successful debating club, open to all pupils. The club meets weekly in the school's lecture theatre, split into two different age categories—juniors and seniors—and argue over predefined motion
Motion (legal)
In law, a motion is a procedural device to bring a limited, contested issue before a court for decision. A motion may be thought of as a request to the judge to make a decision about the case. Motions may be made at any point in administrative, criminal or civil proceedings, although that right is...
s to match the pupils interests. Participants in each category are given opportunities to represent the school, competing nationally in different tournaments.
One of the unique features up until the 1980s was a weekly film club. This pre-dating of home video and DVD offered the opportunity for pupils and their guests to view out of run films in a professional 16mm dual-projector presentation. The personal enthusiasm of Archie Baxter; a long serving teacher, led to the school being the only one in the UK vapable of offering anamorphic lens projection (Cinemascope) and commercial sound capability. To this end a large professional screen was installed on the stage. End of terms traditionally involved some film presentation.
The Aberdeen Grammar School concert band have achieved an immense amount over the past few years; their most recent accolade was a Platinum award at the Scottish Regional Festival of The National Concert band Festival. In 2009 they won a Gold award at the National Concert Band Festival in Cardiff. They also gained Gold awards at the Scottish Regional Festivals of 2007,2008 & 2009.
The school has a large and active Former Pupils' Club, which has members all over the world and a clubhouse at Queens Road opposite the extensive Rubislaw Playing Fields. The club is home to the largest selection of sports clubs in Aberdeen. These include the Scottish Premier Division rugby team and the Aberdeen GSFP RFC
Aberdeen GSFP RFC
Aberdeen Grammar School Former Pupils Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Aberdeen, Scotland. They play in the Scottish Premiership division 1.-Notable players:William Dallas Allardice* John Robert Stephen Innes, in 1939 and 1946....
, who play at Rubislaw Playing Fields.
Rectors
There have been many rectorRector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
s who have headed the school.
| Name | Incumbency |
|---|---|
| 2004–present | |
| 1987–2004 | |
| 1972–1987 | |
| 1959–1972 | |
| 1942–1959 |
External links
School links:- Grammar School Webpage
- Aberdeen Grammar School's page on Scottish Schools Online
- 2006 Prospectus (download). Details exam results, pupil and staff numbers, departments and other statistics.
- HM School Inspectors' Report
FP's club:
Rufina Rajendran