Inverurie Academy is a comprehensivesecondary school in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. The school is one of the 17 secondary schools run by Aberdeenshire Council. Inverurie Academy is located on Jackson Street, Inverurie.[2] As of 2023, the academy ranked 177th out of 347 with 35% of students securing 5 or more highers.[3]
Inverurie Academy has several feeder schools including Strathburn Primary, Chapel of Garioch Primary, Uryside Primary, Port Elphinstone Primary, Oyne Primary, Kellands Primary, Hatton of Fintray Primary, and Keithhall Primary. Insch Primary and Kinellar Primary hold duel zone status.[4]
History
Built in the Victorian period, the school was originally split into both a secondary school and a primary, although after Market Place the need for a primary decreased and the building was merged in 1909, keeping primary pupils until the statutory leaving age of 14, the other taking the pupils who had passed their qualifying exam on to higher education. This was the founding of the building known as Inverurie Academy. Since then, new parts of the school have been added, the most recent in the mid-1980s prior to the demolition. The school was to be replaced with a £55 million new community campus set to include new car and bus parking, a 3G pitch, expanded facilities, and accommodation for up to 1,600 pupils in 2020.[5]
The buildings remained that way until they were joined in the 1950s, and amalgamated in the 1960s with the building of the new assembly hall. The final stage of building was constructed in the 1980s.[6]
The academy, as well as the community swimming pool, St. Andrews Special School, and the Garioch Community Centre, transitioned to the newly built Inverurie Community Campus in the 2020 school year.[7] In 2022, the original Academy was demolished following delays due to the discovery of Asbestos within the school building.[8]
Covid-19
Inverurie Academy was praised for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, with an inspector stating the academy was “very well placed to continue its improvement journey”[9] During the pandemic, National 5 exams were cancelled across Scotland, including Inverurie, being replaced with online coursework's and assessments.[10]
