Ballymena Academy

Ballymena Academy (founded 1828) is a mixed gender grammar school located in the market town of Ballymena in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was founded in the early nineteenth century as a small provincial school for children in the town and surrounding agricultural hinterland.

Ballymena Academy
Address
89 Galgorm Road

Ballymena
,
County Antrim
,
BT42 1AJ

Northern Ireland, UK
Coordinates54.872508°N 6.288643°W / 54.872508; -6.288643
Information
TypeGrammar
MottoTenax Propositi (Steadfast in Purpose)
Established1828 (1828)
Local authorityEducation Authority
HeadmasterStephen Black
Staff128
GenderMixed
Age11 to 18
Enrolment1500
HousesKnocklayde, Lurigethan, Slemish, Trostan
Colour(s)Black/navy and red               
PublicationThe Braid
Websitewww.ballymenaacademy.org.uk

Admissions

The school currently has approximately 1300 pupils and 128 members of teaching staff. The school has 88 acres (360,000 m2) of mature grounds situated on the Galgorm Road, just west of the town centre. The school is now worth £856,000

The school motto is Tenax Propositi meaning Steadfast in Purpose.

Its current headmaster is Mr. Stephen Black who became headmaster of the school following the retirement of Mr J. R. Hassard.

Hassard announced on Tuesday, 19 November 2013, that he intended to retire at the end of August 2014. On Friday 7 March it was announced that Mr Stephen Black (former headmaster at Antrim Grammar School) would take on the role of headmaster on 1 September 2014.

Coat of arms

The red hands are borrowed from the Adair family arms, who gave the 1-acre (4,000 m2) of ground on which the original school was built, itself represented by the blue rectangle below. The worker ant represents hard work. The badger on the crest, accompanied by a lamp representing learning, is a pun on 'Brocklamont', site of the new school buildings, with 'brock' being an archaic word for badger. Sporting, academic, musical and other arts achievement are recognised by the award of a similar but distinctive coat of arms worn on the school blazer and also by the presentation of Honours Ties.

Notable former pupils

Sport

Sport is a fundamental and extremely important area in Ballymena Academy. Head of Girls sport is Miss Diane McNeill and head of boys sport is John Andrews.

The main boys' sport at Ballymena Academy is rugby, with the most recent success occurring at Ravenhill, Belfast. The school won the 2010 Ulster Schools Cup final when they beat Belfast Royal Academy by 10 points to 7.[3] Previous wins were recorded in 1972 and 1981. The school has also won the Subsidiary Shield on seven occasions - more than any other school.[4][5][6][7][8]

The Medallion (under 15) team has won the Medallion Shield twice in 1970 and 2018.[9] A share of the shield was secured twice after drawn finals.[10][11]

The main girls' sport is hockey and the Ulster Schools Cup has been won outright on six occasions. The trophy has also been shared a further three times after drawn finals. The most recent win was in 2001. Following this, they have proceeded to the Kate Russel All Ireland school girls hockey championship. In 2014 the 1XI reached the schools cup semi-final at Lisnagarvey, they lost on penalty flicks, after a 3-3 draw, to Rainey Endowed school.

References
  1. https://mises.o%5B%5D rg/files/qjae936pdf/download?token=JKteetsh
  2. Richard Hill, ‘McBride, (Sara) Vonla Adair (1921–2003)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Jan 2007 accessed 9 July 2017
  3. "BBC Sport 2010 Final report". BBC News. 17 March 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  4. Belfast Newsletter. 15 March 1976. p. 10. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. "Ballymena Academy triumph over Regent House!". Ulster Rugby. 30 March 2006. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  6. "Northern Bank Ulster Schools' Round Up Saturday 24th March 2007". Ulster Rugby. 28 March 2007. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  7. "Disappointment for Coleraine Inst". Coleraine Times. 25 March 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  8. "Northern Bank Ulster Schools' Round Up". Ulster Rugby. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  9. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/medallion-shield-ballymena-academy-are-the-2018-champions-after-narrow-win-over-campbell-college-36698773.html
  10. Northern Whig & Belfast Post. 17 March 1951. p. 2. Missing or empty |title= (help) and Northern Whig & Belfast Post. 21 March 1951. p. 2. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. Ballymena Observer. 27 March 1969. p. 8. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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