Head teacher at Aberdeen’s largest school to leave role

By David Proctor

January 19 2022, 5:00 pm

Neil Hendry will leave Lochside Academy in a matter of weeks.

The head teacher of Aberdeen’s largest school will step down from the role next month.

Neil Hendry has been at the helm of Lochside Academy since it opened its doors to pupils in August 2018.

The £47million school is the largest in the city and serves the Torry, Kincorth, Cove and Nigg areas following the respective closures of Torry and Kincorth academies.

Mr Hendry, who was previously head of Northfield Academy for five years, even gave council bosses a preview tour of the building before it officially opened.

His final day in the post will be February 11 with current deputy head teacher Mike Will taking the top job until a replacement is appointed.

Following the announcement, people have been praising Mr Hendry’s leadership at Lochside Academy.

Councillor John Wheeler and Neil Hendry at Lochside School in 2018.

Changes set out in letter

The change was announced in a letter sent out to parents of pupils from Lochside Academy.

Mark Jones, the city council’s quality improvement manager, thanked Mr Hendry and said the recruitment process is “ongoing”.

He said he would update parents once a new headteacher had been appointed for the Wellington Circle secondary.

Mr Jones wrote: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Hendry for leading Lochside Academy through the important first years of existence, for his commitment to students and staff at the school and to the local community and wish him the very best for the future.

“Secondly, I am pleased to confirm that Mr Mike Will is to take up the role of Acting Head Teacher for the period between Mr Hendry leaving and the next Head Teacher taking up post.

“Finally, I would like to reassure you that the recruitment process to find the next Head Teacher for Lochside Academy is ongoing and we will write to you again once this process has concluded.”

Mr Hendry will leave his job in February.

Headteacher tackled controversy

Just a few short months after Lochside Academy opened Mr Hendry had to deal with claims that pupils were taking drugs.

He spoke at a meeting of Torry Community Council in April 2020 to address some of the concerns raised by locals.

But he praised the efforts of both school staff and parents for helping to tackle the issue head on.

Mr Hendry said: “At the start of term there were some challenges around drugs.

“They are no different to the challenges that every secondary school in Scotland is facing.”
“At the start of the year, young people were wandering around Wellington Road smoking cannabis quite openly.

“And we were dealing with regular incidents when we were catching
young people doing these various things in the school – but that has stopped.”

He added staff and parents had been “proactive” and worked “really hard” to solve the problem.

Aberdeen City Council have been contacted for comment about Mr Hendry standing down.