Our History

Established as ‘The Belfast Academical Institution’ in 1810, the objective was similar to today; to educate pupils of ability, regardless of their social or religious background, offering a challenging but practical education that would fuel the expansion of Belfast and Ulster at the time.

The first pupils entered RBAI in 1814, and until the government funded Queen’s College, Belfast (later Queen’s University) opened in 1849, RBAI had both a School Department and a Collegiate Department. Pupils matriculated from the School Department into the Collegiate Department, which included the first medical school in Ulster, training over five hundred doctors.

The Inst general certificate, taken in the Collegiate Department, was recognised as equivalent to a degree of the Scottish Universities.

In 1831, King William IV granted RBAI a Royal title. The Joint Boards of Managers and Visitors accepted the title, less out of loyalty, than the need to appropriately distance the Institution, in the later nineteenth century, from its radical-republican origins and to secure a government grant to maintain the Collegiate Department.

In 1917, a new Preparatory School, with a small boarding department, Inchmarlo, was opened in Marlborough Park North. In 1935, Inchmarlo transferred from Marlborough Park to its present site at Mount Randal in Cranmore Park. The Preparatory School remains an integral part of The Royal Belfast Academical Institution.

From 1814 until 1903, RBAI had two boarding houses, the English Boarding House at the north end of the Soane building and the Classical Boarding House at the south end. As transport services into Belfast improved and the need to provide additional classroom space to accommodate the greatly increasing numbers of pupils seeking enrolment, both boarding houses were closed.

Having been managed by a group of senior teachers (the Headmasters) who sat on the Board of Masters, Robert Dods, Headmaster of Modern Languages, was appointed RBAI’s first Principal in 1898.

Since then RBAI has had eight Principals, R. M. Jones (1898-1925), G. Garrod (1925-1939), J. C. A. Brierley (1939-1940), J. H. Grummitt (1940-1959), S. V. Peskett (1959-1978), T. J. Garrett (1978-1990), R. M. Ridley (1990-2006). The current Principal, Ms J. A. Williamson was appointed in January 2007 and is the first female to hold the post.

In the 1920s, under Geoffrey Garrod’s principalship, the House system was founded, the school song was written and a school uniform, including the ubiquitous yellow and black quartered cap, was worn for the first time. The cultural life of RBAI, in particular music and drama, improved significantly. A scout troop was founded to complement a rich array of sports.

The Great War of 1914-1918 took an enormous toll on the School and Old Instonians.  One hundred and thirty-two Old Instonians made the supreme sacrifice and two hundred and thirteen decorations were won, including a Victoria Cross. An Officer Training Corps was founded in the School.

In the Second World War, one hundred and six Old Instonians fell in the conflict. Despite the severity of the blitz on Belfast the school escaped significant damage. During the war, younger pupils attended ‘branch’ schools at The Royal School, Dungannon, and at the house known as Fairy Hill in Osborne Gardens. Air-raid shelters were built on the rear quad and a barrage balloon was anchored to the middle of the front lawn.

The serious civil disorder affecting Belfast in the 1970s and 1980s was a considerable challenge to RBAI as a city centre school. However, despite the difficulties of the situation, RBAI is proud of the fact that not one school day was lost in this period.

RBAI currently has over one thousand pupils on the main site and over two hundred pupils in the Preparatory Department, Inchmarlo. About one hundred and fifty new pupils enter RBAI every year from a wide variety of social, cultural and academic backgrounds.

“To offer exceptional learning and enrichment, which enables every boy to flourish academically, physically and socially, and to make a positive contribution to society.”