The Academy went through several phases. To 1831 it was a college but after this, a grammar school was added to the college. By 1842, the school had female students and had its college status taken away making it a grammar school only. The school's enrollment ranged widely over the years but by the 1870s, with the changes in school policies in Nova Scotia, the Academy was flourishing and became a model secondary institution with excellent facilities and higher grants. Students passed exams to enter the Academy which was free to county students. From the beginning, the plan was to keep fees low, and some students did attend for free during the early years.