Ayr Academy is a non-denominational secondary school situated in the centre of Ayr in South Ayrshire. It is a comprehensive school for children from the ages of 11 to 18 from Ayr. Ayr Academy's catchment area covers Newton-on-Ayr, Whitletts and the outlying villages of Coylton, Annbank, and Mossblown. In 2007, the closure of Mainholm Academy resulted in the addition of approximately 100 additional pupils attending Ayr Academy. At present, just over 700 pupils attend the school.
The school is currently planning to find a new location for itself, with Craigie Park being the preferred location. After getting £3.25 million from the Government, they plan to sell the current Ayr Academy once the new building is complete.
The school's motto is Respice, Prospice, which is Latin for "Look Backwards, Look Forwards" which would mean, idiomatically, "Learn from the past, look to the future.".
The school has existed, in various guises, since 1233 although it did not come to be known as Ayr Academy until 1796. It moved from the Sandgate to its present location on Fort Street in 1800, with a further extension to the building added in the early 1960s.
List of Rectors/Head Teachers
Mr J.D Cairns - 1945-1965 Retired - Died 1984 *Mr N McCorindale - 1965-1970 - Left for Perth Academy Retired from Perth in 1986 - Died 2010*Mr W Reid - 1970-1982 - Retired - Died 2008*Mr B Ballantyne - 1982-1989 - Left for Kilwinning Aacdemy Retired from Kilwinning*Mr A Moir - 1989-1997 - Left for Belmont Academy . Retired From Belmont*Mr David Mathieson - 1997-2010 - Retired*Mrs K Mac Donald - 2010 - 2016 - Seconded to County Buildings due to new joint headteacherMrs Lyndsay McRoberts - Nov 2016–Present - Headteacher of both Kyle Academy and Ayr Academy under new joint headteacher*Former Depute Rectors/Depute Heads*
Mr W.S. Kennedy Smith - 1965-1972* - Died 1994 Aged 86Mr T Henderson - 1972-1991 Retired - Died 2000* Aged 71Mrs L Dobbins - 1991-1997 left*Mr Colin Patterson - Later Left for Prestwick Academy as HTFormer Assistant Rectors/Assistant Heads post started 1971 ended 2003
Mrs E Rennie - 1971-1985 - Died 2009*Mr E Burt - 1971 -1974 - Retired - Died 1985* - Aged 69Mr J Naismith - 1971-1974 - Left for Belmont Academy - Died 2005* - Aged 80Later Assistant Heads
Dr John Strawhorn - 1974-1982 - Died 1997* - Aged 75Mr N Francis - 1974-1991 - Retired*Mr D Walton - 1982-1999 Later Depute Head 1999-2005 - Retired*Women Advisor - Miss McWilliams Retired in 1962, Died in 1976, Mrs Le Harivel 1962-1971 - later assistant head became 1971 - 1980 - Retired - Died 1991
School Secretary
Miss E McGarva - 1947-1985 - Retired*The school uses a house system and is split into three houses House colours are stated in the brackets; Galloway (Red), Kyle (Green), and Carrick (Blue)
In alphabetical order
Moira Anderson, sopranoWilliam Beardmore, 1st Baron Invernairn (1856–1936), industrialistProfessor Sir Drummond Bone, Master of Balliol College, University of OxfordSir David Campbell MC FRSE (1889-1978)Prof Edward Provan Cathcart, Fellow of the Royal Society (1877-1954)Mike Denness, England Cricket captainKaren Dunbar, comedian and entertainerJohn M. Farquhar (1832–1918), Member of the United States House of Representatives and recipient of the Congressional Medal of HonorJames Main Dixon (1856-1933), Former Professor at Tokyo University, Washington University, St. Louis and University of Southern CaliforniaProfessor Alan Gemmell OBE (1913-1986) former Professor of Biology at Keele University and broadcasterMarion Gray (1902-1979), mathematician and founder of the Gray graphWilliam Hunter, Lord Hunter (1865–1957), advocate, Member of Parliament (MP) and judgeFiona Hyslop, Scottish National Party Politician, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and Member of the Scottish ParliamentSir John Latta, 1st Baronet (1867–1946), shipping magnateCecil Meares (1877-1937), dog handler on Captain Scott's Terra Nova Expedition, traveller, interpreter and soldierSir David Murray, entrepreneur, businessman and former chairman of Rangers F.C.Ian McLauchlan, Scottish Rugby Union captain and British Lions playerTom Morris Jnr (1851–1875), four time Open Golf Championship winnerMargaret Morton (1968- ), Olympic gold medallist (curling) Salt Lake City winter olympics (2002)William Ross, Baron Ross of Marnock, Secretary of State for Scotland 1964–1970 and 1974–1976Walter Perry, Baron Perry of Walton, Vice-Chancellor of the Open UniversityJackie Brambles, TV/radio presenterWilliam John Macquorn Rankine (1820–1872), engineer and physicist, one of the founding fathers of the field of thermodynamicsAlan Reid, Member of Parliament for Argyll and ButeGordon Reid(1987- ), rugby playerIan Ure, Scotland national football team captainWilliam Schaw Lindsay (1815–1877) shipowner, Liberal MP and writer on nautical matters
