Kilmarnock Academy
Encyclopedia
Kilmarnock Academy is a comprehensive school
, one of several in Kilmarnock
, a town in western Scotland
. It can trace its history back to the local burgh school founded in the 1630s and the first school to bear the name was established in 1807. In 1898 the school was moved to its current location and in the early 1900s the school acquired the Kilmarnock Technical School for its use.
Kilmarnock Academy is situated upon a hill in Elmbank Drive. Because of this, Kilmarnock Academy is a dominant building in the Kilmarnock skyline.
Mr Bryan Paterson assumed the role of headteacher in August 2011 after the retiral of Mrs Carole Ford.
Within the art department of the school, there is a war memorial in memory of those who lost their lives in the First World War.
and John Boyd Orr
.
Other Notable alumni are:
ministers who have held high office or are otherwise well-known church figures:
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
, one of several in Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
, a town in western Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It can trace its history back to the local burgh school founded in the 1630s and the first school to bear the name was established in 1807. In 1898 the school was moved to its current location and in the early 1900s the school acquired the Kilmarnock Technical School for its use.
Kilmarnock Academy is situated upon a hill in Elmbank Drive. Because of this, Kilmarnock Academy is a dominant building in the Kilmarnock skyline.
Headteacher
The current headteacher is Mr Bryan Paterson, he is assisted by his Depute Headteachers Mr G Kerr & Mrs E Walker.Mr Bryan Paterson assumed the role of headteacher in August 2011 after the retiral of Mrs Carole Ford.
School Appearance
The school consists of 4 parts. The 'old building', a listed building in use since 1898 and part of the initial Kilmarnock Academy; the 'new building,' a larger building opened in 1967 and connected to the old building by a link corridor; the Technical Extension which opened in 1997 and is now where the schools computing and music departments are situated, and the P.E. building, where the Physical Education department is situated. This is also rented out to groups such as a Tae Kwon Do club and local football teams.Old Technical Building
Next to the school is the "Old Tech," formerly Kilmarnock Technical School, which opened in 1910 as part of the Academy. It is also listed, but is no longer part of the school; it was closed in 1997 due to a reduction in student numbers, caused by a restructuring of educational resources in theWar Memorial
area. The building remained closed, and reopened in 2006 as luxury housing, due to its prime location directly next to the Dick Institute, the town's primary library and museum, and the centre of town.Within the art department of the school, there is a war memorial in memory of those who lost their lives in the First World War.
Notable former pupils
Kilmarnock Academy is one of the few schools in the world to have educated two Nobel laureates: Alexander FlemingAlexander Fleming
Sir Alexander Fleming was a Scottish biologist and pharmacologist. He wrote many articles on bacteriology, immunology, and chemotherapy...
and John Boyd Orr
John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr
John Boyd Orr, 1st Baron Boyd-Orr CH, DSO, MC, FRS , known as Sir John Boyd Orr from 1935 to 1949, was a Scottish teacher, doctor, biologist and politician who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his scientific research into nutrition and his work as the first Director-General of the United Nations...
.
Other Notable alumni are:
- Craig Conway, Scotland International Footballer
- Robert ColquhounRobert ColquhounRobert Colquhoun was a Scottish painter, printmaker and theatre set designer.Colquhoun was born in Kilmarnock and was educated at Kilmarnock Academy...
, artist - Stewart ConnStewart ConnStewart Conn is a Scottish poet and playwright, born in Hillhead, Glasgow . His father was a minister Kelvinside Church but the family moved to Kilmarnock, Ayrshire in 1941 when he was five. During the 60s and 70s he worked for the BBC at their offices off Queen Margaret Drive and moved to...
, poet and playwright - William McIlvanneyWilliam McIlvanneyWilliam McIlvanney is a writer of crime stories, novels, and poetry. McIlvanney is a champion of gritty yet poetic literature; his works Laidlaw, The Papers of Tony Veitch, and Walking Wounded are all known for their portrayal of Glasgow in the 1970s.- Life and career :McIlvanney was born in the...
, author - James Robinson, actor, best known for his role as a young William Wallace in BraveheartBraveheartBraveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
(1995) - Lindsay McKenzieLindsay McKenzieLindsay McKenzie is a Scottish actress who starred in BBC1 children's show, Raven: The Island, playing the part of Princess Erina. She attended Kilmarnock Academy and then went to study acting at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts .-Princess Erina:Lindsay McKenzie's most notable role to date...
, actress - William MuirWilliam MuirSir William Muir, KCSI was a Scottish Orientalist and colonial administrator.-Life:He was born at Glasgow and educated at Kilmarnock Academy, at Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities, and at Haileybury College. In 1837 he entered the Bengal Civil Service...
, orientalist - James Stevenson, 1st Baron StevensonJames Stevenson, 1st Baron StevensonJames Stevenson, 1st Baron Stevenson , known as Sir James Stevenson, Bt, between 1917 and 1924, was a British businessman and civil servant.-Education:Stevenson was educated at the Kilmarnock Academy...
, businessman and politician - Hugh WattHugh Watt (MP)Hugh Watt was a Scottish merchant and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1892. His career ended in scandal and imprisonment.-Early life:...
(1848 - 1921) MP
Church of Scotland clergy
A number of alumni are Church of ScotlandChurch of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
ministers who have held high office or are otherwise well-known church figures:
- Andrew McLellanAndrew McLellanAndrew Rankin Cowie McLellan CBE is a minister in the Church of Scotland. He was Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland from 2002 to 2009....
, Moderator of the General AssemblyModerator of the General Assembly of the Church of ScotlandThe Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....
, 2000; (also HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for ScotlandHer Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for ScotlandHer Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland is currently Brigadier Hugh Munro .The Inspectorate is directly funded by the Scottish Government.-Origins:...
, 2002-09) - John D. MillerJohn D. MillerJohn Dunlop Miller is a retired minister in the Church of Scotland. He was ordained and inducted to Castlemilk East Parish Church, Glasgow in 1971 - his only charge....
, Moderator of the General Assembly, 2001 - Bill HewittWilliam Hewitt (moderator)William Currie Hewitt is a minister of the Church of Scotland and is a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland ....
, Moderator of the General Assembly, 2009 - John L. BellJohn L. BellJohn Lamberton Bell is a hymn-writer. A Church of Scotland minister, he is a member of the Iona Community, a broadcaster, and former student activist...
, contemporary hymnwriter and speaker