Belmont Academy
| Belmont Academy | |
|---|---|
 School badge  Belmont Academy building, January 2017 | |
| Address | |
 | |
8 Nursery Rd , , KA7 3SN Scotland | |
| Information | |
| Type | Non-Denominational Secondary School |
| Motto | Bear Witness |
| Established | 1960 |
| Local authority | South Ayrshire Council |
| Head Teacher | Kevin Boyd |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 1,225 (2023–2024)[1] |
| Houses | Arran, Bute, Cumbrae, Kintyre, Lomond |
| Colour(s) | |
| School years | S1-S6 |
| Website | Belmont Academy |
Belmont Academy (Scottish Gaelic: Àrd-sgoil Bhelmont) is an 11–18 non-denominational secondary school located in the Belmont area of Ayr, in South Ayrshire, Scotland. The school is operated by South Ayrshire Council, with Kevin Boyd serving as the Head Teacher of Belmont Academy since 2022. Belmont Academy is the largest secondary school in South Ayrshire based on pupil intake, with a total of 1,225 pupils enrolled at the school in 2023–2024.[1]
The original Belmont Academy opened in 1960, and by 2008, the school transferred from the 48-year-old campus into a new building, which was opened to pupils in August 2008.
History
[edit]Belmont Academy was built in 1960 after the school leaving age was raised to 15 and Ayr Academy could no longer accommodate all the secondary students in Ayr.
In mid-2006, Mainholm Academy in Ayr closed for repairs and its students were sent to nearby schools, including Belmont. On 24 November 2006, South Ayrshire Council decided to close Mainholm permanently, making the transfer of pupils permanent.
Belmont Academy, along with Prestwick Academy, has had a new campus built to replace their aged original buildings. South Ayrshire Council made use of the controversial public-private partnership (PPP) plan to finance the project. Construction work was contracted to the British-based company Carillion. Work was originally due to start in the summer of 2006 but was delayed until 2007. Construction of the new campus commenced on 10 January 2007 and the new building was opened to pupils in August 2008. The school was completed in 2008 and opened to pupils on 24 August 2008. The demolition and clearing of the original buildings was completed by February 2009.
Houses
[edit]The school has five houses into which the pupils of the school are assigned.
Named after islands in the Firth of Clyde, the original four house were:
As the school roll increased, Kintyre was added, bringing the total to five houses. Later, Bute was dropped as the school roll fell, but it was reinstated along with Lomond when the roll increased again due to the partial assimilation of Mainholm Academy. In 2010, Craig was dropped, and its pupils were distributed among the remaining five houses.
The current five houses of Belmont Academy are:
- – Cumbrae
- – Bute
- – Lomond
- – Kintyre
- – Arran
Associated primary schools
[edit]The current primary schools linking with Belmont are:
- Alloway Primary School
- Braehead Primary School
- Doonfoot Primary School
- Holmston Primary School
- Kincaidston Primary School
- Tarbolton Primary School
Notable former pupils
[edit]Notable former pupils include:
- Mike Scott, lead singer of The Waterboys
- Noam Dar, professional wrestler
- Stuart Murdoch, lead singer of Belle and Sebastian[2]
- David Simpson, cricketer
- Jock Zonfrillo,[3] television presenter and chef
- Ewan McVicar,[4] DJ
References
[edit]- ^ a b "School rolls". South Ayrshire Council. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "The best days of your life?". The Herald. 23 November 2004. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ McIver, Brian. "Chef who beat heroin addiction has become toast of Australia". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ^ Carroll, Ryan (1 May 2020). "Ayr DJ tipped to become one of the hottest names in dance music drops epic EP". Daily Record. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
External links
[edit] | ||
1Privately funded school | ||