OUR CHERISHED
OLD ARDVRECKIAN COMMUNITY

Since 1883, Ardvreck has been preparing boys, and later girls, for further education and life beyond. For over 135 years the school on the hill has inspired each child to develop their full potential through a spirit of achievement and educational adventure, in the process making friends for life. Every pupil at Ardvreck becomes an Old Ardvreckian and is warmly welcomed into the wider family community.

If you have not heard from us recently or if you think we may not have your current contact details, we strongly encourage you to email our Alumni Secretary, Annie Le Roy-Lewis, at alumni@ardvreckschool.co.uk. If you do not have access to email then please call Annie on 01764 653112 so that she can update your postal address.

 

ARDVRECK GOLF DAY 2025

We are delighted to invite our Old Ardvreckians to the inaugural Ardvreck Golf Day which is being held on Tuesday 15th April 2025 at Blairgowrie Golf Club, Perthshire at a cost of £70 to include coffee/bacon roll, a round of golf and lunch.  This is our first foray into the world of golf, to which we will also be inviting current Ardvreck parents and staff. If you would like to take part in the day, then please email Annie via alumni@ardvreckschool.co.uk who will be delighted to send you further information and a booking form.  This invitation has been sent out by email to all our Old Ardvreckians that we have email for.  If you did not receive the invitation or know of an Old Ardvreckian that has not received the invitation, then please let Annie know.

 

WELCOME FROM THE HEADMISTRESS

Welcome to our family of Ardvreckians. We hope to entice you back to Ardvreck through our new Alumni campaign. We want to reconnect you to friends and memories of your time here, whilst keeping you up to date with today’s Ardvreck through news and events. Perhaps we can even persuade you to attend a Barvick?

I am delighted to introduce you to our Alumni Secretary, Annie Le Roy-Lewis, who knows the school very well and has a passion for helping maintain links between the school and its Alumni.

I very much look forward to meeting you in person one day, either at an Alumni event or when you visit the school. We guarantee our Alumni a very warm welcome.

OLD ARDVRECKIANS ON INSTAGRAM

Read More Alumni Articles
 

ARDVRECK SCHOOL

– A BRIEF CHRONICLE

Here you will find a timeline of some key events that make up significant dates in Ardvreck School’s history and evolution. It is by no means an exhaustive list!

1883

W E Frost leaves Glenalmond and sets up school at Dalmhor in Crieff

1884

School moves to Springbank

1885

School moves into its own new premises at Dalvreck

1905

Rifle Club founded. First Rugby Blue – J. Burt-Marshall for Cambridge

1908

Semi Jubilee celebrations. Purchase of surrounding ground

1909

First O.A. Dinner – North British Hotel (now the Balmoral), Edinburgh

1915

Ardvreck beds on Ambulance barges

1917

First Ardvreck Scouts – not attached to the Baden-Powell movement

1920

Unveiling of the St Michael’s War Memorial

1921

Joan English born. 1st girl pupil at Ardvreck. (Margaret English born 1925)

1922

Bill Frost dies. Buried at Ochtertyre

1925

The Usher Pavilion erected. First ‘Founder’s Days’, July 5th

1927

Electricity replaces gas at the school

1929

First general O.A. Dinner – Grosvenor Restaurant, Glasgow

1930

Formation of 43rd Perthshire Scout Troop

1931

Building of Crabbie Hall, Open Fives Court rebuilt beside the covered one

1933

Jubilee Celebrations. Access Tunnel to the games field built under the Comrie Road

1939

Acquisition of The Heugh

1942

Ardvreck boys provide ‘comforts’ for the troops

1955

First O.A. Rugby Cap for Scotland – W S Glen

1956

Start of Ivor Ramsay Essays

1960

School becomes an Educational Trust

1962

Ardlarach built. The San becomes ‘Brae of Ardvreck’. Launch of the new House system: Barrie and Scott formed from the Greeks, Buchan and Burns from the Trojans

1964

Construction of the classroom block. Demise of the Five Courts

1968

First Day Pupils

1970

Appeal: Classroom Block extended. Modernisation in Heugh and Main School

1973

Present Swimming Pool completed replacing one by R Turret

1975

Appeal: levelling and draining of the top pitch

1976

Admission of girls

1979

First edition of The ‘Ard Times. Launching of Friends of Ardvreck. Start of Pre-Prep

1982

Launching of the Centenary Appeal. First School Ski holiday – Zell am Ziller in Austria

1983

Centenary Celebrations. Opening of the Centenary Building

1984

Opening of MacLellan House, The Heugh having been sold

1985

Opening of Erskine House

1987

Ardvreck’s first visit to Rua Fiola

1989

Opening of the Music School. First Ardvreck Prep Schools’ Netball Tournament

1990

Levelling, widening, lengthening and draining of lower games pitches

1991

New Pavilion opened, replacing the Usher pavilion

1992

Swimming Pool covered. New Classroom Block completed

1993

First Hosting of the Triangular Athletics at Ardvreck. 50th issue of ‘Ard Times. Pre-prep and Form 2 move to new premises

1994

Victorian Era Celebrations of the Centenary of the change in the school’s name. Opening of Ardvreck Nursery Department

1995

National V.E. Day holiday. Friends Reels Party in the Crabbie on a V.E. Day theme

1996

Inaugural Ardvreck Invitation Rugby Sevens Tournament

1998

Francis Finlay, O.A., cuts the first turf for the Finlay Hall. First school visit to Chateau de la Baudonniere

2000

Millennial Match at Culdees Castle between Ardvreck 1st XI and a Gentleman’s XI, Centenary of one played there in July 1900. Opening of the Finlay Hall. Demise of the old Carpentry Hut. Andrew Foster Assault Course constructed. Advent of Ardvreck Pipe Band

2003

Participation for the first time in Scottish Schools’s Clay Pigeon Championships

2004

New record set in St. Patrick’s Shield, British Prep Schools’ Trophy 798/800

2005

Ardvreck boys British Prep Schools’ Ski Champions

2006

Canadian Delegation collects Piper James Richardson V.C.’s pipes after 75 years in the school museum

2008

125 Celebrations

2022

Founder's Day Celebration. To mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Ardvreck’s Founder, W E Frost, we held a Founder’s Day on Saturday 21st May 2022 to which we invited all our alumni, past headmasters and past members of staff. Over 100 guests joined us for a very happy and memorable event. 

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Ardvreck School are invited to feature in The Official Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Album

2023

140th Annivesary Big Birthday Barvick.