Origins ------- School was opened about 1809. Original buildings were subscribed by a group of London businessmen who came from Tain or had connections with the town. Original building had an observatory on the roof. It was too heavy and was removed after a time. This building is now part of the retirement home 'Duthac House'. The Move to the New School -------------------------- New school buildings were constructed between 1967 and 1969. The school was opened in time for the 1969-1970 year, when Mr A. H. V. Smyth was Rector and the roll was around 400. In its final years as a school, the old TRA had well outgrown the original building. Some of the science labs, the Rector's and Secretary's offices, the library and the history, geography and some other classrooms were contained in hutted accommodation. The technical and home economics depts, as well as the canteen, were in older 'temporary' buildings, possibly dating from the 1940s. In the main building, biology was taught in the original science room. French, Latin and maths were mainly taught in the main building and the assembly room was on the first floor. That great badge of status, the prefects' (6th year) room, was also tucked away in the main building, beside the science room. The gym hall was joined on to the main building, round the back, but sports classes had to walk down to the Links. There was no swimming pool. The new school, with its spacious, modern feel and its specialist facilities, such as the language lab, photographic darkroom, stage and swimming pool, was a great advance on the old, although the range of subjects did not change. The biggest change accompanying the move to the new school was probably the end of 'streaming'. Until 1967, primary 7 pupils in Easter Ross sat the 'Qualifying Examination'. The result determined the 'stream' into which the pupil would go. At TRA in the late 60s, these were designated 'L', 'X' and 'P'. The result was a very clear example of what sociologists call 'labelling', the attribution of certain common characteristics or behaviour expectations to particular groups of people. 'L' was the 'Senior Secondary' stream - the 'L' stood for 'Latin', at that time the distinguishing badge of an academic. An 'L' pupil was expected to spend six years at school, then aim for university or professional training. 'L' pupils could sit Ordinary ('O') Grades in 4th year and Higher Grades in 5th year, followed by the Certificate of 6th Year Studies. 'X' was the 'Junior Secondary' stream - although no-one seemed to know what 'X' stood for. 'X' pupils did no Latin, but boys spent more time on technical subjects and girls on commercial subjects (accounts/shorthand/typing) and home economics. They were expected to leave school after four years, that is, after the 'O' Grade exams. Sex roles were clearly delineated. The male 'X' pupil was being prepared for a trade apprenticeship or for managing a small (especially family) business, while the female 'X' pupil was expected to work in a shop or office before starting a family and becoming a housewife, at least for as long as children were young. However, an 'X' pupil who did particularly well in the 'O' Grades could move on to fifth year and take 'Highers'. 'P' was the 'public' stream. No one was quite sure where this term came from, but it may have had something to do with the pupils all leaving at the minimum 'public' school leaving age. This meant that they left after three years with no paper qualifications. The 'P' pupil spent more time on basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills along with practical subjects such as gardening (boys) and home economics (girls). The male 'P' pupil was expected to become a farm servant, fishing boat crewman or manual labourer, while the female pupil was expected to become a farm servant, kitchen assistant or cleaner, before becoming, like her 'X' and possibly 'L' schoolmates, a housewife and mother. In Tain, this rigidly-stratified approach, which sought to lock a pupil into a particular life course at around age 11, was phased out as the move to the new school approached. First year in session 1967/68 was the last to be split into classes 1L, 1X and 1P. These classes moved into the new school in session 1969/70 as 3L, 3X and 3P. However, it was clear to everyone that TRA was now a comprehensive school and, at the end of the year, the pupils staying on were merged into a common 4th year. Although streaming was in many ways socially divisive, at least all secondary schoolchildren in Tain went to the same school and could mix freely in the interval and at dinner time (what's now called lunchtime). This contrasted with practice in the more populous areas of Scotland, where children from one community could be divided between completely separate senior and junior secondary schools (this happened in the seaboard villages, of course, where junior secondary pupils attended Hilton JS School, while senior secondary
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Past Reunions At Tain Royal Academy
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Tain Golf Club
Took place on 15th Aug 2009 for members who left in the years 1983 - 1985
Upcoming Reunions At Tain Royal Academy
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Tain Royal Academy Reunion for first years in 1983
Takes place on 1st Jul 2011 for members who left in the years 1987 - 1989
