It is one of thirteen secondary schools run by the Aberdeen City Council educational department.

On Skene Street, near the centre of the city, it was originally situated on Schoolhill, near the current site of Robert Gordon's College.

[6] The most notable former student is Lord Byron, the Romantic poet and writer who spent a short amount of time at the school before his move back to England as a 10 year old.

Alumni include Scottish international footballer Russell Anderson and mathematician Hector Munro Macdonald.

[8] The earliest documented date of its existence is in the Burgh Records of 1418, when the Lord Provost and Council nominated John Homyll to replace the recently deceased Andrew of Chivas as "Master of the Schools".

[3] Originally on Schoolhill, near the site of the current Robert Gordon's College, the curriculum consisted of Latin, Greek and ancient geography.

[9] In 1612, the pupils, many of whom were related to the gentry in the country, rioted with pistols and hagbuts, and took over part of the school.

[4][12] In recent years the school has been the site of a number of newsworthy events, including a protest against PETA, the painting pink of an entire temporary classroom block, and a bomb threat.

The school's catchment area centres on the west end of the city, including Rosemount and Mannofield.