The Edinburgh Academy is a privateday school in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was opened in 1824. The original building, on Henderson Row in the city's New Town, is now part of the Senior School. The Junior School is on Arboretum Road to the north of the city's Royal Botanic Garden.
In 2023 the school was investigated by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry over numerous allegations by ex-pupils of historical abuse by several staff. The Academy later issued an acknowledgement and apology.
Foundation
In 1822, the school's founders, Henry Cockburn and Leonard Horner, agreed that Edinburgh required a new school to promote classical learning. Edinburgh's Royal High School provided a classical education, but the founders felt that greater provision was needed for the teaching of Greek, to compete with some of England's public schools. Cockburn and Horner recruited John Russell as a co-founder and the three of them, together with other interested parties, put a proposal to the City Council for the building of a new school. The City Fathers gave their approval in 1823 and fifteen committee members were elected.[1]
Buildings
Edinburgh Academy War MemorialDonaldson's building, formerly the junior school of Donaldson's College
The main building of the Senior School, with its Greek Doric frontage, was designed by architect William Burn.[2] The stone used was principally from the nearby Craigleith Quarry. The Foundation Stone was laid in June 1823 and the school opened for the first session in October 1824. In 1892, new classrooms were built along the western wall of the site, and in 1900, the School Library was opened, followed by the new Science Block in 1909, both along the eastern wall. At the back of the school the Dining Hall, and the Rifle Range beneath it, was opened in 1912 and after World War I, the Gymnasium was built. This was dedicated as a War Memorial to Edinburgh Academicals (former pupils) who had fallen during the hostilities of 1914 to 1918.[3]
In 1945, a new building, Denham Green House, was acquired in the Trinity area of Edinburgh. This was used for the junior department (now known as Early Years) of the Preparatory School (now known as The Edinburgh Academy Junior School). In 1960, a new building for the upper three years of the Preparatory School was completed in Inverleith (Arboretum campus). Denham Green's nursery and early years facilities were relocated to purpose built accommodation on the Preparatory school's Arboretum campus in 1987. In 1992, the Rector's residence, Academy House and in 1997, a new Games Hall were constructed on the same campus. The latter was partly funded by money from The Lottery and Sports Council and is for the use not only of pupils in both parts of the school but also of the community in the area. A new computing and music building was completed at the Junior School in 2005 and a new nursery and after school facility in 2008.[4]
At Henderson Row, the property next to the school, No 32, was acquired for administrative use in 1972 and in 1977, the Academy acquired the junior school of Donaldson's College, to the west. This allowed departments to expand and a purpose-built Music School was opened on this part of the campus in 1991. In 2005 the 1909 science block was demolished and a new science block, the James Clerk Maxwell Centre, named in honour of the 19th century scientist and former pupil, was opened by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 3 November 2006.[5]
Teaching
The Edinburgh Academy was originally a day and boarding school for boys. It ceased boarding and transitioned to co-education in 2008 and is now a fully coeducational day school.[6]
Abuse
In 2020 and 2021, six men accused a man later named as Iain Wares[7] of physical and sexual abuse when they were pupils in the 1970s.[8] The Scottish Crown Prosecution Service was initially reluctant to prosecute because of difficulties in seeking his extradition from South Africa, where he had moved, and his advanced age,[9] but South Africa in 2020 approved the UK's request for extradition on six charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour and one of indecent assault.[10]
On 27 July 2022, broadcaster Nicky Campbell disclosed that he had witnessed and experienced sexual and violent physical abuse while a pupil at the Edinburgh Academy in the 1970s.[11][12][13][14]Alex Renton, a journalist investigating child abuse in private schools, reported that ex-pupils of Edinburgh Academy had named 17 other staff members, employed between the 1950s and 1980s, as physical and sexual abusers.[15]
From 8 August 2023, the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) hearings in Edinburgh, before Anne Smith, Lady Smith, took evidence from former pupils and members of staff of the Edinburgh Academy and medical experts.[16] When actor Iain Glen spoke out about his abuse in 2002, "the wrath of Morningside and Muirfield and Murrayfield rained down on his head with biblical fury because he'd broken the code, the Edinburgh omertà".[17][18][19][20]
Also frequently mentioned was Hamish Dawson, deceased, whose affectionate appreciation from the Rector in September 1984 was contradicted by testimony from many reporting having suffered at his hands.[21][14][22][7] On 30 August 2023, the school issued an apology for both the "brutal and unrestrained" historical abuse and its consequences for "grown men deeply damaged as children".[23]
On 30 November 2023, BBC1 broadcast a Panorama programme 'My Teacher the Abuser: Fighting for Justice',[24] devoted to the history of abuse at the Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College and concentrating on the allegations against Iain Wares and the efforts to extradite him from South Africa.[25][26] On 12 December 2023, Police Scotland announced that five former teaching staff aged between 69 and 90 had been arrested for questioning regarding alleged abuse incidents between 1968 and 1992, with one further individual to be referred to the authorities.[27][28]
On 11 March 2024 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, an examination of facts hearing regarding John Brownlee commenced as, at 89 and demented, he was deemed unfit to stand trial. Nicky Campbell described repeated physical mistreatment. Other pupils had reported similar cases.[29]
On 27 March, after over two weeks' testimony from 42 former pupils, the Sheriff ruled that Brownlee had repeatedly committed a number of violent assaults against children aged between eight and 11 years, spanning 31 charges as well as ‘cruel and unnatural acts’ at the school.[30] A spokesman from the Edinburgh Academy Survivors group afterwards described Brownlee as a "violent monster" who had caused "a lifetime of damage to everyone concerned".[31] The evidence was also reported to have exposed a wider culture of complicity at the school.[32][33][34]
Jack Mendl (1911-2001), taught at the school from 1950 to 1977, also played cricket at first-class level[43]
Hamish Dawson (1927-2009), predatory teacher known for his "arbitrary and sadistic punishments",[17] who later found work as a department store Father Christmas in Gloucester[14][22]
John Brownlee (b.1935), teacher and physical and mental abuser deemed too unwell to stand trial in 2023, and in March 2024 found to have repeatedly committed a number of violent assaults against pupils[18][32][44]
Jake Young (b.1935), gym teacher arrested and charged[27]
Iain Wares (b.1939/40), teacher who sexually abused boys at Fettes College and the Edinburgh Academy with impunity over many years,[7][17] exposed in the November 2023 BBC1 Panorama programme 'My Teacher the Abuser: Fighting for Justice'[24]
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