Kilmarnock Academy

The school consists of four parts. The 'old building', a listed building in use since 1898 and part of the initial Kilmarnock Academy; the 'new building,' a larger building opened in 1967 and connected to the old building by a link corridor; the Technical Extension which opened in 1997 and is now where the schools computing and music departments are situated, and the P.E. building, where the Physical Education department is situated. This is also rented out to groups such as a Tae Kwon Do club and local football teams. Next to the school is the "Old Tech," formerly Kilmarnock Technical School, which opened in 1910 as part of the Academy. It is also listed, but is no longer part of the school; it was closed in 1997 due to a reduction in student numbers, caused by a restructuring of educational resources in the area. The building remained closed, and reopened in 2006 as luxury housing, due to its prime location directly next to the Dick Institute, the town's primary library and museum, and the centre of town.

It can trace its history back to the local burgh school founded in the 1630s and the first school to bear the name was established in 1807. In 1898 the school was moved to its current location and in the early 1900s the school acquired the Kilmarnock Technical School for its use. From 1945 it was a state co-educational grammar school. It became a comprehensive school in 1968 and fees were abolished for students attending Kilmarnock Academy in 1945 following World War II.[9] For the first time since opening, Kilmarnock Academy appointed its first woman Head Teacher, Carole Ford, who served in the position from 1997–2011.[9]

At one point, Kilmarnock Academy provided both primary and secondary education to Kilmarnock's school children. The school at one point was a fee-paying school until 1969 when it became a government funded state school.[10]

The William McIllvanney Campus, containing Kilmarnock Academy, James Hamilton Primary School and Early Childhood Centre and a Gaelic education unit, was handed over to East Ayrshire Council from Keir Construction on 30 March 2018.[6] The former Kilmarnock Academy and James Hamilton Academy both closed their doors to pupils on Tuesday 27 March 2018 and officially closed on 29 March 2018 after staff had decanted both buildings of furniture and resources. The new Kilmarnock Academy opened to pupils on Wednesday 18 April 2018.[4]

• 
  The former buildings of Kilmarnock Academy on Elmbank Drive
• 
  The former James Hamilton Academy which was demolished to make way for the new school
• 
  The "old building" of the former Kilmarnock Academy which dates back to the late 1800s
• 
  The old Kilmarnock Academy technical building which opened in 1910 and closed in 1997

• William Thomson (1808–1830)
• Alexander Harkness (1830–1851)
• William Taylor (1851–1852)
• Alexander Smith (1852–1869)
• George Younger (1869–1873)
• George Smith (1873–1876)
• Hugh Dickie (1876–1904)
• David Murray (1904–1907)
• Dr James Clark (1907–1926)
• Alexander Cumming (1926–1938)
• Robert McIntyre (1938–1964)
• James Hislop OBE (1964–1977)
• Frank Donnelly (1977–1997)

• Carole Ford (1997–2011)
• Bryan Paterson (2011–2015)[16]
• David Rose (2015–present)[7]

• Rev Prof Hugh Anderson (1920–2003) theologian
• Air Vice-Marshal Stuart Atha, AOC since 2011 of No. 1 Group RAF, and Station Commander from 2006–08 of RAF Coningsby
• Craig Conway, Scotland international footballer
• Air Chief Marshall Stephen Hillier, Chief of the Air Staff 2016–
• Lindsay McKenzie, actress
• Major General Sir Robert Murdoch Smith, engineer, archaeologist and diplomat
• Lorraine Fullbrook (Campbell), Conservative Member of Parliament, South Ribble, Lancashire – Elected 2010[18]
• Ronnie Hamilton, professional footballer[19]

• Rev. James Barr, Labour MP from 1935 to 1945 for Coatbridge, and from 1924 to 1931 for Motherwell
• Rev. Prof. Matthew Black, Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism from 1954 to 1978 at the University of St Andrews
• Robert Colquhoun, artist
• Stewart Conn, poet and playwright
• Sir David Cuthbertson, physician
• Robert Dunsmuir
• George Forrest, botanist and explorer
• Adam Ingram, SNP MSP since 2011 for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley
• Jimmy Knapp, General Secretary from 1990 to 2001 of the RMT, and from 1983 to 1990 of the National Union of Railwaymen
• Sir James Learmonth CBE, pioneer in nerve surgery
• Margaret McDowall, swimmer
• William McIlvanney, author
• Lt-Gen Robert Menzies CB OBE, Surgeon General to the Armed Forces from 2000 to 2002
• William Muir, orientalist
• Colin Rankin
• James Stevenson, 1st Baron Stevenson, businessman and politician
• Peter Sturrock, Conservative MP from 1885 to 1886 for Kilmarnock Burghs
• Murray Tosh MBE, Conservative MSP from 2003 to 2007 for the West of Scotland
• Hugh Watt (1848–1921) MP
• Marie Macklin CBE, CEO of The KLIN Group and founder and executive chair of The HALO Urban Regeneration

A number of alumni are Church of Scotland ministers who have held high office or are otherwise well-known church figures:

• Andrew McLellan CBE, Moderator of the General Assembly, 2000; (also HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland, 2002 to 2009)[20]
• John D. Miller, Moderator of the General Assembly, 2001[20]
• Bill Hewitt, Moderator of the General Assembly, 2009[20]
• John L. Bell, contemporary hymnwriter and speaker[21]
• Lorna Hood (née Mitchell), Moderator of the General Assembly, 2013[22]