Banbridge Academy

Banbridge Academy is a grammar school in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, founded in 1786. As of January 2015, the Principal is Robin McLoughlin, previously a headmaster of Grosvenor Grammar School. McLoughlin succeeded Raymond Pollock (1995-2014). Former headmaster Pollock was preceded by Charles Winston Breen (1984–1995), a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. Breen's work was continued by Pollock, who was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2009 New Year Honours list "For services to Education in Northern Ireland". As of 2014 enrollment stood at over 1,300 pupils and the school had around 90 teachers. The school was in the Top 100 Schools in the United Kingdom for A-Level results 2008 in a list compiled by The Times. The school traces its roots to the building now known as Dunbar nursery near the current site of Banbridge Leisure Centre but moved to its present home, Edenderry House on the Lurgan Road, in 1950. A redevelopment begun in 1989 provided a new building, while retaining much of the original frontage; interiors and façade are listed. The school building has a glass atrium and dedicated technology suite and science block. The school has two sports halls, and a large amount of land serving as playing fields for hockey, rugby union, cricket, football and netball, together with five tennis courts. In building work, the assembly hall was demolished and a new dining hall with a small sports hall and a large fitness suite inside were built. A science block was constructed in place of the old dining hall. The work took seven years to complete, finishing in 2012.