Albyn School

Infobox scottish primary, secondary and nursery school
name= Albyn School


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type= Private independent coeducational
location= Queens Road, Aberdeen AB15 4PB, Scotland
coordinates= coord|57|8|29|N|2|7|55|W
founded= 1867
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school colours= green
age range= 3 months to 18 years
primary years taught= P1 - P7
secondary years taught= S1 - S6
nursery years taught= 3 months to 5 years
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website= [http://www.albynschool.co.uk albynschool.co.uk] The Albyn School is a private, independent educational establishment, founded in 1867 in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is located on Queens Road and Forest Road. Albyn was originally an all-girls school before becoming co-educational in 2005. The school has a nursery, primary school and secondary school; pupils can attend from 3 months to 18 years old.

In the past its main sporting and academic competitor was considered to be St Margaret's School for Girls, as it was the other all-girls school in the city. Despite Albyn becoming co-ed, a healthy rivalry remains, particularly in the sport of hockey.

History of the school

In 1886 the budding school moved to the bottom of Albyn Place, occupying Nos 4-6 in a terrace diagonally opposite St. Margaret’s School. It became officially known as the Albyn Place School for Girls, but most people knew it as “Mackie’s”, because the reputation of principal Alexander Mackie. In 1967, the school celebrated its centenary. Under the direction of Headmistress Dorothy Kidd, a volume was produced outlining the school's history.

The school started with a kindergarten and primary section, where the girls followed in the same subjects as their local public school counterparts. However, Albyn also offered music, dancing, drawing and painting. In the upper school. the girls worked towards the university entrance examinations in English and literature, mathematics, science, and languages. In 1911, the school became equipped with science laboratories.

Alexander Mackie

Alexander Mackie was born on September 11, 1855 on the estate of Delgatie Castle in Buchan. His father was the Head Gardener in Duff House, where Alexander spent his formative years. His early schooling was at the Free Church Institution in Macduff. In 1872, he received his MA Honors degree at King's College, Aberdeen, as well as the Seafield Gold Medal in English.

He began working as as teacher at Union Place School for Girls, founded by Harriet Warrack. When Warrack retired from teaching in 1886, Mackie received complete management of the school. Soon after, Union Place School for Girls changed locations and became known as Albyn. Mackie was principal of Albyn until his death in June 1915. Before his death, Mackie was appointed to the committee of the city library and he was elected Examiner in English at the University of Aberdeen.

Mackie gave up teaching at the beginning of the 1914-1915 session, and was absent for much of the year. He died hours after the school closed for the summer holiday on June 25, 1915, shortly before his sixtieth birthday. He was buried in Springbank Cemetery, Aberdeen. The smaller 'Lower School' library was dedicated to him.

Margaret Thirde

Miss Margaret Thirde was appointed in 1915 as the third Head of Albyn, in succession to Alexander Mackie. She, like Mackie, also taught English. In late 1919, she resigned her post to get married, and subsequently moved to South Africa with her new husband.

As Margaret Henderson she became a well-known figure of the local community and when she died her husband donated a substantial sum to the local independent boys’ school, Kearsney College. This was used to construct a new school hall named the Margaret Henderson Hall in her honor.

‘Miss O’s’ - An Aberdeen Institution

Miss ECS Oliver was appointed as Headmistress in January 1920. Under her management and leadership, the school moved to the more spacious surroundings of Queen’s Road. The school had acquired No 21 as a boarding house and quickly bought 19 and 23. For the first time girls had tennis courts at the school and electric lighting instead of gas. Hockey was played on rather bumpy pitches at Kepplestone.

During Miss Oliver’s tenure, there were numerous developments in curriculum and ethos, with a vigorous involvement in the arts, sport and political and moral debate complementing rigorous academic expectations and strict standards of behaviour, courtesy and deportment. In 1948 “Miss O”, as she was almost universally known, retired after leading the school through 28 years.

Modern era

In her final act of devotion to Albyn, instead of selling Albyn to her successor for her own profit, Miss Oliver arranged for the appointment of a Board of Governors and the creation of the Albyn School for Girls Ltd, a company run as a charitable trust. She donated the School to that company, membership of which was open to former pupils and certain honorary members only. In January 1949, the new Board appointed Miss Walker, who led the school through recognition of Grant Aided Status, acquisition of the Summerhill playing fields and sustained development. Mrs IM Fowlie, Vice Chairman on the original Board, soon became chairman and led the School for two decades, providing continuity of strategic planning and development.

One of that Board’s inspired decisions was the appointment of Miss Dorothy Kidd (1916-2004) as Headmistress. She dominated Albyn for 18 years from 1958 to 1976. In her time the School opened the new Hall, gym, new science labs and celebrated its centenary in 1967.

After Miss Kidd’s retirement, the Board appointed Miss Christine Campbell in 1976. She had previously been Headmistress of St Bride’s, the girls school in Helensburgh that subsequently became Lomond School. Miss Campbell was a highly popular figure, much liked and respected by the staff. Alas her tenure was cut short by illness and she died in office on the first day of the Easter holidays in 1982. Miss Catherine Morrison, a long-serving servant of the School, Head of English, Deputy Head and many other things besides, was thrust into the Headmistress’ office, serving as Acting Head from January to December 1982.

Miss Norma Smith, a chemist, was appointed in December 1982. She guided the school through the next 15 years, retiring in 1997. She oversaw the construction of the new science block on the south side of the playground, opened by the Vice Chancellor of Aberdeen University in 1992 and dedicated to the memory of Dorothy Kidd.

The legacy was then placed in the hands of Mrs Sheena Taylor, who joined Albyn from Torry Academy, where she had been Assistant Head and English teacher. Her time at Albyn was brief and fraught with controversy, leading to her departure in 1999, when she was replaced by Miss Jennifer Leslie. Miss Leslie had been a long-standing member of staff who as Head of Modern Languages and then Deputy Head had played a crucial role in maintaining the ethos and standards associated with the school. On Miss Leslie’s retirement in 2002, the Board appointed Dr John Halliday, the first male Head since Mackie.

In November 2004 the School revitalized the Nursery provision, opened a baby and toddler unit in the former Home Economics building. Albyn was the first school in Scotland to open a nursery for children aged 3 months and upwards.

Co-education: The Beginning of a New Age for Albyn

In January 2005, the Board announced the beginning of a process towards full-coeducation over the next 8 years. The first boys were admitted to the Lower School, up to Primary 5, in August 2005, and they will remain the oldest boys as the School becomes fully co-educational by 2014. Construction has started for a brand-new Primary School building and other developments are in the pipeline.

In the 2004/05 exam period their academic results were excellent, with all 6th year leavers going to their first choice universities including Oxbridge, studying a whole range of courses, including medicine, veterinary medicine, engineering, languages, business and law.

References

* [http://www.albynschool.co.uk/HTML/school/Headmaster6.asp History of Albyn School]

External links

* [http://www.albynschool.co.uk School website]
* [http://www.scottishschoolsonline.gov.uk/schools/albynschoolforgirlsaberdeencity.asp Albyn School's page on Scottish Schools Online ]