Education in Peterhead - A Brief History:

After the reformation in 1560, the Church of Scotland was responsible for maintaining schools in every parish. There are references to the Peterhead Parish School in 1597 and from 1676 onwards. In 1739 the parish school was situated on the slope between Maiden Street and Charlotte Street, in the vicinity of Uphill Lane. The community of Feuars sold the school site to the Merchant Maiden Hospital in 1787. From 1788 the parish school was held in the middle floor of the Townhouse.

Towards the end of the 18th Century private and denominational schools began to open up in Peterhead, partly in response to the demands of a growing population that the parish school alone could not meet. The most significant of these developments was the building of Peterhead Academy in St Peter Street in 1838. This induced the Kirk Session to build a new parish school in Prince Street in 1840.

The Education Act of 1872 created Burgh and Parish School Boards and removed responsibility for education from the Kirk Session. The Peterhead Burgh School Board took over from the Academy, the Parish Scholl and the Union Industrial (Ragged) School in 1872. The Board built the North School in 1877 and this absorbed the Union Industrial School in 1908. A new Academy was built in 1890 and the old building became Peterhead Central School. By 1906 the private schools had all closed down. With the merging of the Free Church School with the Central School in 1906, St Peter's Episcopal School remained the only denominational school in Peterhead.

Responsibility for education was transferred to Aberdeen County Council in 1929 and every school in Peterhead came under its control. After the Second World War there was a shift of population away from the old centre of Peterhead to the new housing schemes. New schools were built at Meethill, Clerkhill and Dales Park, while the Anna Ritchie School was built for special needs pupils. The old Buchanhaven School was also replaced by a new building. The North School had developed into a junior secondary; latterly it had became annex of Peterhead Academy before being closed following a major extension to the Academy and the removal of rural pupils to Mintlaw Academy. Falling school roles in the centre of Peterhead led to the closure of the Infants School and St Peter Street School and transfer of their pupils to the Central School. Responsibility for education was transferred to Grampian Regional Council in 1975.

18th - 19th Century Private Schools

Towards the end of the eighteenth century private schools sprang up, including : -

- The Misses Purcell's Ladies Boarding School - beginning of the 19th century, at a time when Peterhead was a fashionable spa.

- The Ladies' Board School, run by Misses Gray and Pringle in the Chain House, St Peter Street; closed in 1850.

- The Institute, Prince Street, closed in 1906 (the building is now the front part of the Rescue Hall).

- Tanfield House Private School, begun sometime after 1877, closed in 1894.

In addition to these schools, between 1787 and 1872 there were usually some twelve to twenty schools kept by women in which reading, writing and sewing were taught; in schools kept by men, mathematics and nautical subjects would be taught. Few private schools were begun after the passing of the Education Act in 1872.

Central School

The old Academy building in St Peter Street became the Central Scholl in 1890. The old one-storey building was completely rebuilt in 1906. The Central School absorbed the Free Church School in 1906 and the Infants and St Peter's Schools in the 1970's.

Free Church School

The Free Church School was built in 1847 at the corner of St Peter Street and Windmill Street. After the rebuilding of the Central School in 1906 the pupils were transferred there and the Free Church School closed. The site is now Occupied by the Department of Employment.

North School

The North School was built in 1877 by the Peterhead Burgh School Board in King Street. It was extended in 1879 and again in 1904. The school was closed in the 1970's and now houses industrial units.

Peterhead Academy

Peterhead Academy was built in 1838 in St Peter Street. A new Academy building was built in 1890 in St Mary Street. This was extended towards York Street in 1908. The original part of the Academy was destroyed by fire in 1922. This was rebuilt but the York Street extension was partly destroyed by bombing in 1940. This was again rebuilt and the Academy has been greatly extended since.

St Peter's Episcopal School

The Episcopal School began life about the beginning of the 19th century, being held in the Townhouse. About 1830 this school moved to two rooms in the Masonic Lodge (the Assembly Rooms) in Lodge Walk. From there it moved to Maiden Street about 1870 and subsequently, in 1889, a new St Peter's School was built in Hanover Street. This was closed in the 1970's and demolished in 1990.

Union Industrial ('Ragged') School

The Union Industrial (or 'Poor' or 'Ragged') School was built at the north end of St Peter Street in 1848. The pupils from this school transferred to the North School in 1908. The building is now used as offices for MacFish.