Banbridge Academy

Banbridge Academy is a grammar school located in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. The school was founded in 1786. The current Principal is Mr Raymond Pollock OBE, who was previously a Vice Principal at Friends' School, Lisburn. Mr. Pollock was preceded by Mr. Charles Winston Breen (1984–1995), a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. Mr. Breen is widely credited with overhauling the Academy and transforming it into one of the best performing grammar schools in the United Kingdom. His passing in 1995 was mourned with great sadness by the whole school community.

The work of Mr Breen has been continued by Mr Raymond Pollock, who was recognised for his significant achievements in the 2009 New Year Honours list, For services to Education in Northern Ireland. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. .

Enrollment stands at over 1318 pupils and the School has around 90 teachers. The School Colours are Petrol Blue, Red and Black. It is consistently one of the strongest Academic, Sporting and Musical schools in Northern Ireland, and 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 major redevelopment in the 1990s (begun in 1989) has provided a new building, while retaining much of magnificent original House frontage, whose interiors and facade is listed. The School building now has a glass atrium and dedicated technology suite and science block. The school also 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.

The school has recently undergone major building work. The assembly hall was demolished and a new, modern dining hall with a small sports hall and a large fitness suite inside was built. A new science block has been constructed where the old dining hall existed. The entire building has been refurbished, and there is a hockey pitch where the mobiles were.