Aberdeen Grammar School, known to students as
The Grammar or
AGS, is a
stateState school is an expression used in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom to distinguish schools provided by the government from privately run schools.- United Kingdom :...
secondary schoolSecondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. It follows on from elementary or primary education....
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 schoolA 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 schools teaching classical languages but more recently academically-oriented types of secondary school.The original purpose of...
s in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, 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 CollegeRobert Gordon's College is a private co-educational day school in Aberdeen, Scotland.-History:It originally opened in 1750 as the result of a bequest by Robert Gordon, an Aberdeen merchant who made his fortune from trading with Baltic ports, and was known at foundation as Robert Gordon's Hospital...
. 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 TimesThe Times is a daily national newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register....
, Aberdeen Grammar was rated the 12th best Scottish state secondary school in 2007, and second in Aberdeen behind
Cults AcademyCults 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 famous poet and writer. A statue of him was erected in the front courtyard of the school. Other alumni include Scottish international
footballerAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
Russell AndersonRussell James Anderson is a Scottish football defender who currently plays for Sunderland.-Aberdeen:Anderson grew up in the Mannofield area of Aberdeen and attended Aberdeen Grammar School. He was part of the school team who became the only Aberdeen school side ever to win the Scottish Cup...
and mathematician
Hector Munro MacdonaldHector Munro Macdonald 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
BurghA Burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United Kingdom...
Records of 1418, when the
Lord ProvostA Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities in 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
MagistrateA magistrate is a judicial officer; in ancient Rome, the word magistratus denoted one of the highest government officers with judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a magistrate has limited law enforcement and administration authority...
s or masters. In 1612, the pupils, many of whom were related to the
gentryGentry denotes “well-born and well-bred people” occupying the social class of the minor aristocracy, and whose income derives from their large landholdings.- British :...
in the country, rioted with pistols and hagbuts, and took over part of the school. The masters got involved and stopped the riot, and 21 pupils were
expelledExpulsion may refer to:*Expulsion , removing a student from a school or university*Expulsion from the United States Congress*Deportation, the expulsion of someone from a country*Population transfer, the forced migration of people by the state...
, while some were arrested. From 1861–1863, the school moved to its current location on Skene Street. A large granite building in
Scottish baronial styleThe Scots Baronial style is part of the Gothic revival in architectural styles, drawing on stylistic elements and forms from castles, tower houses and mansions of the Renaissance 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
academyAn 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, north of Athens, Greece.-The original Academy:Before the Akademia was a...
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
fireFire is the rapid oxidation of a combustible material releasing heat, light, and various reaction products such as carbon dioxide and water. If hot enough, the gases may become ionized to produce plasma. Depending on the substances alight, and any impurities outside, the color of the flame and the...
, destroying most of the rooms including the large library, a collection of Byron's notebooks, the trophy room and other classrooms, although the historic
façadeA facade or façade is generally one side of the exterior of a building, especially the front, but also sometimes the sides and rear. 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
Rubislaw Playing FieldsRubislaw Playing Fields in Aberdeen, Scotland is an sports field for Aberdeen Grammar School and for the Scottish BT Premiership 2 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...
at a site about a mile away from the main school building. Shared with the former pupils' club, the location has
rugby unionRugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
pitches with a stand, football
pitchesA 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"....
, grass
hockeyField hockey is a team sport in which a team of players attempt to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking the ball with hockey sticks into the opposing team's goal. Its official name is simply hockey, and this is the common name for it in many countries...
pitches and an
AstroturfAstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Though the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf...
hockey pitch built in 2005.
In recent years the school has been the site of a number of newsworthy events, including a protest against
PETAPeta 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 Hall, a well known Rhodesian-Canadian potter...
, 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
minibusA minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. Minibuses have a seating capacity of between 8 and 30 seats. Larger minibuses may be called midibuses or light buses...
. Also in 2007, work was completed on a new
gymThe word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, after beginning two years previous. 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 Council in accordance with the
Scottish Executive's educational guidelinesScotland has a long history of universal provision of public education, and the Scottish education system is distinctly different from other parts of the United Kingdom....
for state schools. In the 1998–99 academic year, the education of each pupil at the Grammar School specifically cost
£The pound sterling , often simply called the pound, is the currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and British Antarctic Territory...
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 Grades are Scotland's educational qualifications for students aged around 14 to 16 years. Standard Grade courses are taken over the 3rd and 4th years of a student's secondary schooling. Exams are taken at the end of the 4th Year , with preliminary examinations taken several months...
,
Intermediate 1Intermediate 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 2Intermediate 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....
,
HigherIn 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 AuthorityThe Scottish Qualifications Authority is a non-departmental public body responsible for the development, accreditation, assessment and certification of qualifications, other than academic degrees, in Scotland. It is partly funded by the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate of the...
(SQA). An emphasis is on the more traditional subjects such as
mathematicsMathematics is the science and study of quantity, structure, space, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns, formulate new conjectures, and establish truth by rigorous deduction from appropriately chosen axioms and definitions....
,
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
and modern languages.
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
and
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
are taught at the school, but
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
was discontinued in 2006 due to shortage of staff. Also taught are subject areas such as
craftA craft is a skill, especially involving practical arts. It may refer to a trade or particular art.The term is often used as part of a longer word . For example, a craft-brother is a fellow worker in a particular trade and a craft-guild is, historically, a guild of workers in the same trade...
,
designDesign is the planning that lays the basis for the making of every object or system. It can be used both as a noun and as a verb and, in a broader way, it means applied arts and engineering . As a verb, "to design" refers to the process of originating and developing a plan for a product,...
and
technologyTechnology is a broad concept that deals with human as well as other animal species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt to its environment...
,
business studiesBusiness studies is the name of an academic subject taught at higher level in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom at both GCSE, AS and A2 Level, as well as at university level in many countries...
and the social subjects –
modern studiesPolitics is a process by which groups of people make decisions. The term is generally applied to behavior within civil governments, but politics has been observed in all human group interactions, including corporate, academic and religious institutions...
,
historyHistory is the study of the human past, with special attention to the written record. Scholars who write about history are called historians. It is a field of research which uses a narrative to examine and analyse the sequence of events, and it often attempts to investigate objectively the patterns...
and
geographyGeography is the study of the Earth and its lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena. 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 and tennis.
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 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 SchoolMile-End School is a primary school and nursery in Aberdeen, Scotland. It has approximately 500 pupils. The primary school is set in a large Victorian gray granite building on Midstocket Road, whilst the nursery is on Raeden Park Road, about 10 minutes walk away at the site of the old Beechwood...
,
Skene Square Primary SchoolSkene 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 schoolA faith school is a school that has a particular religious character or has formal links with a religious organisation. The term was introduced in Britain in 1990 following demands by Muslims for institutions comparable to the existing church schools...
). 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
housesThe house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in ex-British colonies. 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. 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.
CompetitionCompetition is a contest between individuals, groups, nations, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or allocation of resources. It arises whenever two or more parties strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same...
s take place between houses, particularly in sport, during the annual inter-house games afternoons. These take place during the month just before
EasterEaster is the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to Christian scripture, Jesus was resurrected from the dead on the third day from his crucifixion...
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.
A yearly school musical is performed by the
Face the Music society; recent performances include
GreaseGrease is a 1972 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.The show takes its name from 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 kids as they navigate the complexities of love,...
,
Annie Get Your GunAnnie 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...
and
SnorkSnork 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 bandA 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...
,
jazz bandA jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music usually without a conductor. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section...
, junior and senior
choirA 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 is called a choir or chorus...
s and a string orchestra. Lessons are available in
brassA 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,
stringsA 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. The most common string instruments in the string family are guitar, violin, viola,...
,
pianoThe piano is a musical instrument which is played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in Western music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
,
guitarThe guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the 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
motionA legal motion is a procedural device in law 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...
s to match the pupils interests. Participants in each category are given opportunities to represent the school, competing nationally in different tournaments.
The Aberdeen Grammar School concert band have achieved an immense amount over the past few years; their most recent accolade was a Gold award at the National Concert Band Festival in Cardiff. In this competition the band achieved more success than a number of private English and music schools. They have also gained Gold awards in the past two Scottish finals of the concert band festivals and toured the North of Italy.The concert band is great and a good way of making friends.
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 RFCAberdeen Grammar School Former Pupils Rugby Football Club is a BT Premiership 2 club based in Aberdeen, Scotland.-External links:*Official Site: http://www.aberdeenrugby.co.uk/...
, who play at Rubislaw Playing Fields.
Rectors
There have been many
rectorThe word rector has a number of different meanings; they indicate 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:
FP's club:
Rufina Rajendran