Aberdeen Grammar School

Early 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 Burgh 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 Magistrates or masters. In 1612, the pupils, many of whom were related to the gentry in the country, rioted with pistols and hagbuts, and took over part of the school. The masters 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 Bennum Building (originally a primary school) and the 1960s modern design: a west-wing science block, theatre, and a dining hall.

Originally a private boys' school, it became a council grammar school and then a comprehensive academy in 1970. It became co-educational in 1973.

Recent history

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 facade 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-acre (73,000 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 artificial 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 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 gymnasium, begun two years previously. The new building 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 Council in accordance with the Scottish Executive's educational guidelines for state schools. In the 2013/14 academic year, the education of each pupil at the Grammar School specifically cost £4,252. This was the lowest spending per pupil out of the local authority secondary schools.

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 1100 pupuils attend the school each year, between the ages of about 11 to 18. The school's catchment area centres on 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 School, 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. 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 houses in the school. These three houses are Byron, Keith and Dun and Melvin. Pupils earn house points throughout the year by winning inter-house competitions, and at the end of the year the house with the most points is awarded the Inter-house Challenge Cup at prize giving.

The school has a particular emphasis on boys' rugby union and girls' hockey. The former pupils club provide extra coaching on some games afternoons and with whom many pupils continue to play for once they leave school. The school has several 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, gymnastics, netball and volleyball.

There are also many non-sporting groups at the Grammar School. The school concert band represents Grammar in festivals such as the National Concert Band Festival and Scottish Concert Band Festival and frequently receives platinum and gold-plus awards. Face the Music, the school theatre group, performs a musical every year in the school hall. Other groups include the art club, debating, choir, gardening club and charities group.

The school awards colours for sporting and cultural achievements. There are three levels of colours: junior (awarded in S4); half (awarded in S5/6) and full (awarded in S6) and they are all clearly shown on the school uniform. To be awarded colours, a pupil must represent the school and perform to a high standard in their chosen activity for a set number of years.

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.

Rectors

The rector is the head of the school. Records show there were 26 rectors between 1418 and 1881.