Mackie Academy
Encyclopedia
Mackie Academy is a secondary school in Stonehaven
, Aberdeenshire
. As of 2008, Mackie Academy currently has roughly 1300 pupils and 80 staff.
, William Mackie, who bequeathed money in his will to establish a school in Stonehaven. The original site was on Arduthie Road, where Arduthie Primary school is now situated. The original building on this site was destroyed in a fire in the 1920s and had to be rebuilt. In 1969, the school was moved to the new purpose-designed building on the Slug Road. This land had previously been used as the Academy playing fields and the grounds around the present building are still used for this purpose. Between Summer 2009 and Christmas 2010 extensive work is being carried out to the toilet facilities introducing 13 disabled toilets and 15 toilets. The school served a large geographical area surrounding Stonehaven until the opening of Portlethen Academy
, which reduced the catchment area of the school drastically.
Mackie Academy is recorded as one of the top 50 State Secondary schools in Scotland. Attainment in national SQA examinations is positive, with Mackie Academy students achieving well above the average grades for Aberdeenshire and for Scotland.
Among the more famous alumni of the school is the author Lewis Grassic Gibbon
, otherwise known as James Leslie Mitchell. Mitchell was a pupil at the original Mackie building that was burned down.
, which are derived from the surrounding geography of Stonehaven and historical local figures. These houses are Fetteresso
, Dunnottar
, Ury
, Cowie
, Swanley and Rickarton. Each house is designated by a colour for ease of reference: blue for Fetteresso, red for Dunnottar, orange for Rickarton, yellow for Ury, green for Cowie and purple for Swanley. There are Inter-house competitions between these houses where the pupils themselves compete. Each house is headed by a Principal Teacher of Guidance.
The school is often monitored by Prefects who carry out tasks such as controlling canteen queues and monitoring computer usage in the library
. They are led by House Captains and helped by their Peer Support Captains. Peer Support Captains play a role in the school within various sectors of the school life, such as helping younger pupils with problems (for example bullying) or if they require help with schoolwork. Peer Support, House and Sport Captains are always sixth years, chosen through applications and further interviews by the senior management staff. The oldest pupils also take on peer roles, Paired Reading with junior pupils, helping in specific classes, running extra-curricular activities.
Throughout the school year, pupils take part in a number of school activities such as the Sponsored Walk, where money is raised for both the school and a charity chosen by pupils. The charity chosen for the 2009 Sponsored Walk was CLIC Sargent
. The school also takes part in "Rock Challenge"
annually, winning the Aberdeen event for the first time in 2009 and have come second place in the two years following. However, due to unforeseeable circumstances, the team was not able to go down to the final held in Grimsby. In 2011, the team successfully managed to raise the £6000 necessary for them to travel and were at last able to compete in the Finals in Grimsby, where they won awards for Stage Crew, Spirit of Rock Challenge, Educational and Cultural Achievement and Student Leadership. The Team also received National Award Nominations for Staging and Stage Crew.
Stonehaven
Stonehaven is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It lies on Scotland's northeast coast and had a population of 9,577 in 2001 census.Stonehaven, county town of Kincardineshire, grew around an Iron Age fishing village, now the "Auld Toon" , and expanded inland from the seaside...
, Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
. As of 2008, Mackie Academy currently has roughly 1300 pupils and 80 staff.
History
The school was founded in 1893 thanks to the generosity of a local merchantMerchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
, William Mackie, who bequeathed money in his will to establish a school in Stonehaven. The original site was on Arduthie Road, where Arduthie Primary school is now situated. The original building on this site was destroyed in a fire in the 1920s and had to be rebuilt. In 1969, the school was moved to the new purpose-designed building on the Slug Road. This land had previously been used as the Academy playing fields and the grounds around the present building are still used for this purpose. Between Summer 2009 and Christmas 2010 extensive work is being carried out to the toilet facilities introducing 13 disabled toilets and 15 toilets. The school served a large geographical area surrounding Stonehaven until the opening of Portlethen Academy
Portlethen Academy
Portlethen Academy is a six-year comprehensive secondary school in Portlethen, Aberdeenshire.-History:With the expansion of the communities of Portlethen and Newtonhill in the 1980s, the Education Committee of Grampian Regional Council decided to build a new six-year Academy in Portlethen. Until...
, which reduced the catchment area of the school drastically.
Educational importance
A base for pupils with special educational needs was opened in January 2000. Individual pupils have some of their lessons in the Base with two SEN Teachers. The amount of time spent in the Base varies according to individual needs.Mackie Academy is recorded as one of the top 50 State Secondary schools in Scotland. Attainment in national SQA examinations is positive, with Mackie Academy students achieving well above the average grades for Aberdeenshire and for Scotland.
Among the more famous alumni of the school is the author Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Lewis Grassic Gibbon was the pseudonym of James Leslie Mitchell , a Scottish writer.-Biography:...
, otherwise known as James Leslie Mitchell. Mitchell was a pupil at the original Mackie building that was burned down.
Pupil activities
The school's pupils are divided into six different housesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
, which are derived from the surrounding geography of Stonehaven and historical local figures. These houses are Fetteresso
Kirkton of Fetteresso
The Kirkton of Fetteresso is a well preserved village near Stonehaven, Scotland. In the planning area of Kincardine and Mearns, Aberdeenshire, this village contains many very old stone residential structures as well as the Church of St. Ciarans and its associated graveyard...
, Dunnottar
Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-east coast of Scotland, about two miles south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th–16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been an early fortress of the Dark Ages...
, Ury
Ury House
The current incarnation of Ury House is a ruined large mansion built in the Elizabethan style in 1885 by Alexander Baird. It is situated about a mile north of Stonehaven, a town in Aberdeenshire on the North-East coast of Scotland...
, Cowie
Cowie, Aberdeenshire
Cowie is an historic fishing village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This village has existed since the Middle Ages, but in current times it is effectively subsumed into the town of Stonehaven.-History:...
, Swanley and Rickarton. Each house is designated by a colour for ease of reference: blue for Fetteresso, red for Dunnottar, orange for Rickarton, yellow for Ury, green for Cowie and purple for Swanley. There are Inter-house competitions between these houses where the pupils themselves compete. Each house is headed by a Principal Teacher of Guidance.
The school is often monitored by Prefects who carry out tasks such as controlling canteen queues and monitoring computer usage in the library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
. They are led by House Captains and helped by their Peer Support Captains. Peer Support Captains play a role in the school within various sectors of the school life, such as helping younger pupils with problems (for example bullying) or if they require help with schoolwork. Peer Support, House and Sport Captains are always sixth years, chosen through applications and further interviews by the senior management staff. The oldest pupils also take on peer roles, Paired Reading with junior pupils, helping in specific classes, running extra-curricular activities.
Throughout the school year, pupils take part in a number of school activities such as the Sponsored Walk, where money is raised for both the school and a charity chosen by pupils. The charity chosen for the 2009 Sponsored Walk was CLIC Sargent
CLIC Sargent
CLIC Sargent is charity in the United Kingdom that was formed by the merger of Sargent Cancer Care for Children and Cancer and Leukaemia in Childhood in 2005. The charity specializes in providing support for children with cancer....
. The school also takes part in "Rock Challenge"
Rock Challenge UK
UK Rock Challenge is the British arm of the Global Rock Challenge and the Australian Rock Eisteddfod Challenge. Rock Challenge is an anti-drug and crime-prevention that takes the form of a friendly performing arts competition for schools and colleges. In 1996, the first Rock Challenge event in UK...
annually, winning the Aberdeen event for the first time in 2009 and have come second place in the two years following. However, due to unforeseeable circumstances, the team was not able to go down to the final held in Grimsby. In 2011, the team successfully managed to raise the £6000 necessary for them to travel and were at last able to compete in the Finals in Grimsby, where they won awards for Stage Crew, Spirit of Rock Challenge, Educational and Cultural Achievement and Student Leadership. The Team also received National Award Nominations for Staging and Stage Crew.