The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school. It is self-governed and financed, though it remains subject to inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education and was last inspected in 2006.
It was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School. The Junior School is located in Arboretum Road to the north of the city's famous Royal Botanic Garden.
The Edinburgh Academy is essentially a day school, though it has for the time being a small international boarding community housed in purpose built accommodation adjacent to the playing fields. In 2007 it was announced that 2007-8 would be the last year for boarding. The co-educational nursery caters for children from 2 to 5. The Junior School, fully co-educational from Autumn 2007, admits children from age 6 to 10 whilst the Senior School takes boys from age 10 to 18. For forty years girls have been admitted to the final two years of the Senior School, that is from the age of 16 plus. The Senior School will become fully co-educational in August 2008. It has been stressed however that The Academy will remain a small school and small class sizes will remain a priority.

Foundation
The main building of the Senior School, with its Greek Doric frontage, was designed by architect William Burn. The stone used was principally from the nearby Craigleith Quarry. The Foundation Stone was laid in June 1823 and the school opened for the first session in October 1824. Interestingly when looking from Edinburgh Castle the Academy is perfectly obscured from view by the St Stephens Center. It was rumoured that W.H.Playfair who built the St Stephens Church did this out of spite after he had offered to design the Academy's Main Hall but was turned down in favour of Burns. In 1892, new classrooms were built along the western wall of the site, and in 1900, the School Library was opened, followed by the new Science Block in 1909, both along the eastern wall. At the back of the school the Dining Hall, and the Rifle Range beneath it, was opened in 1912 and after the Great War, the Gymnasium was built. This was dedicated as a War Memorial to Edinburgh Academicals (former pupils) who had fallen during the hostilities of 1914 to 1918.

The Buildings
In keeping with the classical traditions of the school, the school crest has always featured the head of Homer, though at the start of the twenty-first century, this was removed from the official logo much to the anger of some members of the school community. From the foundation of the school, the headmaster has been known as the Rector, a term common to several other Scottish secondary schools. The boys in the youngest year of the Senior School are referred to as Geits, from the Old Scots word for a child, while at the upper end of the school, the prefects are known as Ephors, after the officials of ancient Sparta.
In 1905, the school was divided into four houses or Divisions, Cockburn, named after the founder Henry Cockburn, Carmichael, named after a former teacher, James Carmichael, Kinross, named after a former pupil John Balfour, 1st Baron Kinross, and Houses, representing the boys who lived in the boarding houses.
At one time, schoolboys used to play Hailes, a similar game to shinty, also believed to have been played in the Royal High School. Today the tradition is represented only by an annual match at the end of the school session, when the Ephors play against the other leavers from the seventh year, a match usually played in fancy dress. Alumni of the Edinburgh Academy are known as Academicals, or Accies, a name shared with the Rugby team.

Traditions

Craigie Aitchison R.A. painter (EA 1933-7 & 1941-2)
Frederick M Bailey, celebrated plant collector, discoverer of Mecanopsis baileyi.
Leslie Balfour-Melville (1854-1937), an outstanding all-round amateur sportsman
R. M. Ballantyne, children's author, (EA 1835-37).
Dr Joseph Bell, now recognised as the model for Sherlock Holmes.
Mike Blair, Scottish Rugby International.
Guy Berryman, bass player in Coldplay
John D Burgess, Piper, Double Gold Medallist
Francis Cadell, explorer of the Murray River in Australia.
Francis 'Bunty' Cadell, colourist painter.
Michael Brown (architect) pioneer of landscape architecture in UK
Nicky Campbell, radio DJ and television presenter, (EA 1966-78).
Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Cunningham, victor of Taranto and Matapan during the Second World War.
William Cunningham, economist
Tam Dalyell, former Father of the House of Commons.
Lord Francis Douglas, with Whymper on the ascent of the Matterhorn, died on the descent.
Charles Falconer, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, Lord Chancellor.
Alexander Penrose Forbes, who became Bishop of Brechin, (EA 1825-32).
Charles Fulton, politician embroiled in the Profumo scandal (EA 1934-9).
Iain Glen, actor (EA 1965-78).
John Scott Haldane, physiologist (EA 1870-76).
Richard Burdon Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane, Lord Chancellor, 'Father of the Territorial Army' (EA 1866-72).
Sir James Hector, explorer and member of the Palliser Expedition, (EA 1844-45).
Fleeming Jenkin, professor of engineering, (EA 1875-81).
Paul Jones, singer, actor and presenter, (EA 1958-60).
James Eckford Lauder, artist of outstanding note who painted James Watt, (EA 1824-8).
Robert Scott Lauder jnr., M.D.,(Edinburgh), Physician at Morningside Lunatic Asylum, etc., (EA 1852-8)
Magnus Magnusson, television presenter, and translator of Icelandic origins, (EA 1935-48).
James Clerk Maxwell, physicist, (EA 1841-47).
William Forbes Skene, Scottish historian, (EA 1826-29).
William Smith, London Police Commissioner at the time of the Whitechapel murders.
Sir Ninian Stephen, Governor General of Australia.
Kenneth Stevenson, Bishop of Portsmouth.
Robert Louis Stevenson, writer, (EA 1861-63).
Allen Stewart, designer of the Forth Bridge.
J. I. M. Stewart, university professor and mystery writer (as Michael Innes)
Archibald Campbell Tait, who became Archbishop of Canterbury, (EA 1824-27).
Frederick Guthrie Tait, son of Peter Guthrie Tait, soldier and gifted amateur golfer, (EA 1881-83).
Peter Guthrie Tait, physicist, (EA 1841-47).
Iain Torrance, President of Princeton Theological Seminary, (EA 1954-63).
George Younger, 1st Viscount Younger of Leckie, (EA 1864-67). Notable Alumni
Nine Edinburgh Academy Alumni have won the Victoria Cross.

Victoria Cross

• Indian Mutiny
  
  
  
  • Colonel Thomas Cadell VC CB
    Lieutenant-General Sir James Hills-Johnes VC GCB
    Colonel John Adam Tytler VC CB
    Bhutan War
    
    
    
    • Captain James Dundas VC
      Second Afghan War
      
      
      
      • Major John Cook (VC) VC
        Second Boer War
        
        
        
        • Colonel Edward Douglas Browne-Synge-Hutchinson, VC , CB (he also attended United Services College in 1875). He was a Major when he earned his VC.
          First World War
          
          
          
          • Lieutenant Colonel Walter Lorrain Brodie VC, MC
            Major Allan Ebenezer Ker VC
            Second World War
            
            
            
            • Rear Admiral Sir Anthony Miers VC, KBE, CB, DSO & Bar