Ardrossan Academy
| Ardrossan Academy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
Sorbie Road , KA22 8AR Scotland | |
| Coordinates | 55°38′41″N 4°47′59″W / 55.6447°N 4.7997°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Non-denominational secondary school |
| Motto | Ad Astra (To the stars[1]) |
| Established | October 1882 |
| Local authority | North Ayrshire Council |
| Head teacher | Anne Anderson[2] |
| Years | S1 to S6 |
| Gender | Co–educational, boys and girls |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 1,050 |
| Houses | Nevis, Lomond, Annick, Barra |
| Website | www |
Ardrossan Academy is an 11–18 secondary school in Ardrossan, North Ayrshire, Scotland, opened in October 1882, serving the town of Ardrossan, with pupils also coming from nearby Saltcoats, West Kilbride, Seamill, Fairlie, Largs and other areas. As of November 2025, the current Head Teacher of the school is Anne Anderson.[3]
Ardrossan Community Campus
An inspection of Ardrossan Academy conducted by North Ayrshire Council in 2018 found that the facilities and structure at Ardrossan Academy to be rated as "D", meaning "economic life expired and/or risk of failure".[4] As a result, North Ayrshire Council allocated £31.5 million towards the costs associated with a replacement for Ardrossan Academy, advocating that a new facility with updated equipment was a "much needed replacement" for Ardrossan Academy.[4]
In 2020, North Ayrshire Council applied to the Scottish Government for permission to close both Ardrossan Academy and Winton Primary School in order to merge both schools into a single site educational campus. The Scottish Government formally approved North Ayrshire Council's plans in June 2020.[5] The new 2–18 campus will incorporate Ardrossan Academy, Winton Primary School & Early Years Class, the Astra base for pupils with Additional Support Needs, as well as several community facilities including swimming pool and library, and is projected to cost £80 million. The new campus will include space for 1,200 pupils within Ardrossan Academy.[6]
The site chosen for the new campus is a former Shell oil refinery site, and is expected to be completed in 2027 following extensive site remediation and preparation works.[6] The campus was initially expected to open in 2026, however, delays to remediation and site preparation works resulted in a push back.[7]
Notable alumni
- June Andrews, nursing expert, director of NHS Scotland Centre for Change and Innovation, professor of dementia studies at University of Stirling[8]
- Tom Black, cricketer[citation needed]
- Peter Duncan, MP, chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party[9]
- Sir William Barr McKinnon Duncan, chief executive of Rolls-Royce[citation needed]
- Janice Galloway, writer (The Trick is to Keep Breathing, etc.)
- William Hilton, MP, trade unionist, director general of the Federation of Master Builders[10]
- Roy Howat, internationally renowned French music scholar and performer[citation needed]
- Gordon Jackson QC, former MSP, lawyer[11]
- Edith MacArthur, actress[11]
- Iain McNicol, General Secretary, Labour Party
Notable staff
- John Watt Butters (1863–1946), mathematician, was Rector 1899–1928[12]
- John Aitkenhead, teacher, co-founder of Kilquhanity School[13]
- Morag Aitkenhead (Robina Roy MacKinnon), teacher, co-founder of Kilquhanity School[14]
References
- ^ "Mission Statement". Ardrossan Academy. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ "SLT Staff List". ardrossanacademy.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
- ^ "How the 'Into Headship programme' helped me to step up the career ladder | Teach In Scotland". Teach In Scotland. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Ardrossan Campus Proposal: Background Information and FAQs" (PDF). northayrshire.community. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ "SCHOOLS (CONSULTATION) (SCOTLAND) ACT 2010: NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL – ARDROSSAN ACADEMY AND WINTON PRIMARY SCHOOL" (PDF). gov.scot. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ a b Construction, Morgan Sindall. "Ardrossan Community Campus". Morgan Sindall Construction. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ "Opening of new Ardrossan Campus will be delayed until 2027, council confirms". Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald. 24 September 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
- ^ "Head of NHS Change and Innovation Centre", Scottish Government, 11 April 2002.
- ^ "Tory political virgin carries party hopes on his broad shoulders", The Herald, 9 June 2001.
- ^ " William Hilton: Director of the Master Builders", The Guardian, 20 June 1999.
- ^ a b "North Ayrshire Council: Schools by region A-Z", The Scotsman, 22 April 2008.
- ^ C D Waterston; A Macmillan Shearer (July 2006). Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1783–2002: Part 1 (A–J) (PDF). ISBN 090219884X. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2015 – via Royal Society of Edinburgh.
- ^ "Obituary: John Aitkenhead", The Independent, 21 August 1988.
- ^ "Morag Aitkenhead", The Daily Telegraph, 18 October 2007.
External links
- Official website
- Former official website (still useful for its archives)
