At the Junior School we are committed to the holistic development of the child. Our Assemblies are very valuable in giving a feeling of real belonging to the children and we also run an extensive programme of activities aimed at stimulating and enhancing education outside of the classroom.
All children from Primary 3 upwards are offered the chance to sing in one of our choirs and many also play in one of our music groups such as the guitar group, the Orchestra, the wind band or the folk club. Each term there is also a programme of after school activities offering involvement in such things as sport, art, craft, technology and other aesthetic pursuits.
In recent years our activities have included (amongst many others) Jewellery-Making, Warhammer, Scrabble, Chess, Latin, Cross Country Running, Skiing, Tennis, Gymnastics and Origami. We are lucky to have very extensive grounds and our Gardening and Eco clubs are always very popular whilst our indoor climbing wall is a facility that is unrivalled in a Scottish schools context.
Our Arboretum Road Charities Committee is very active and this year raised over £17,000 for good causes.
Amongst many other collaborative activities, Junior School children are often to be found performing in local charity concerts, picking litter in local parks or raising money for a number of good causes. In 2018 this amounted to around £17,000.
The Junior School has been awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag on several occasions and continues to explore ways to improve sustainability. The Junior School orchard produces a great deal of fruit and the children recently won an award at the National Apple Day celebration at the Scottish Parliament.
The Junior School grounds are green and expansive. They are put to good use by our Outdoor Learning Specialist who plans stimulating and enterprising ways to encourage the children to explore and love the outdoors.
Tree climbing is positively encouraged at the Academy.
All children are given the opportunity to represent the school competitively as they reach the Upper Primary. In Primary 6 all boys can play in the Rugby Team on a Saturday morning with girls playing Hockey at the same time. Netball and boys hockey are also available as options.
We have also been very successful in the Edinburgh Primary Schools Choral Competition (where we have enjoyed more success than any other school in the last ten years), Football, Technology Challenge, Skiing, Swimming, Climbing, Netball and Cricket.
The Edinburgh Academy has a reputation that is second to none in the teaching of choral singing. The Junior School has won the Edinburgh Schools Competition more than any other school in recent history with a non-selective choir and has several instrumental ensembles of high quality.
Art and Drama also make up a big part of the year and the scale of the school means that all children person regardless of natural aptitude.
As a group of children who are ‘Made in Scotland, Ready for the World’, the Scots Culture Celebration is always a highlight of the school year alongside the P6 Musical. In recent years the children have performed in Pinocchio, Beauty and the Beast, The Music Man, Guys and Dolls and Mary Poppins.
Music thrives in the Junior School. Children can learn a wide range of instruments with specialist peripatetic staff and have the opportunity to perform to pupils and staff at daily assemblies.
An annual instrumental and choral concert takes place at Easter and there are also opportunities to perform in Senior School based concerts: providing good transitional links. Each year group also produces at least one lavish and costumed performance each academic session. We have two highly popular choirs who are often invited to sing at various events and provide great links to the local community as well as being very successful competitively. The Junior School also currently has its own Strings Group, Folk Club, Wind Band, Guitar Group and Recorder Ensemble.
All children receive two class music lessons a week. In P3 they learn to play the Recorder, basic Keyboard technique in P4 and the Ukulele in P5. P6 children concentrate particularly on composing and creative projects.
From traveling to the Botanic Gardens for a P1 Teddy Bears Picnic to visiting Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam in Primary 6, the children’s educational experience is enhanced through a well-planned and progressive series of trips.
Having enjoyed a whole day trip to York as part of the Vikings study in Primary 3, the children have their first residential school trip to Broomlee in Primary 4 followed by a Jacobite themed three night stay at Meigle in Primary 5 and then a week-long trip to Holland in Primary 6.
The Edinburgh Academy Junior School is sector leading in terms of e-Learning and was one of the first schools in Scotland to receive a Digital Schools Award. Our staff and children are all ‘digital natives’. Preparing our children for a successful future in a technological age.
