Abraham Darby Specialist School For The Performing Arts
Encyclopedia
Abraham Darby Academy for the Performing Arts and Business Enterprise in Telford
, Shropshire
, UK, is the current name for the comprehensive school on Hill Top Lane, Ironbridge Road in Madeley which was first founded in 1937. It is named after Abraham Darby III
and is situated approximately one mile from the world famous Iron Bridge
which he built in 1779. In September 2008 the School was changed into an Academy
by linking it to Adams' Grammar School
and was accepted by the Department for Children, Schools and Families
(DCSF).
The current headteacher is Stephen Hawke.
It amalgamated with Coalbrookdale High School in 1965 to form the Abraham Darby Comprehensive School. There were 1,244 pupils in 1980.
The school has had 44 years of musical tradition and success, particularly with the wind band and the famous Abraham Darby Showband, which has played in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall
and at the Carnegie Hall
in New York
. In recognician of this success, the school achieved Arts College
status and again re-named itself, this time to the Abraham Darby School for the Performing Arts in 2003.
Links between Abraham Darby and Adams' Grammar will be developed at every level and will benefit both sets of students by allowing multiple opportunities for the sharing of resources, student and teacher exchanges and leadership training through a student prefect and mentoring system. Students in both schools will be part of a new house system and will be linked across the schools by colours. Through this system, students will be brought together for sporting, musical, drama and other events.
Both schools will be underpinned by a curriculum including the provision of cutting edge ICT, but will each have a different specialism; Abraham Darby School in performing arts and possibly business and enterprise, while Adams’ Grammar School will specialise in technology and modern languages.
Abraham Darby students received new uniform comprising a tie and blazer bearing the Haberdashers’ crest.
This unique project, which involves Abraham Darby School, Adams’ Grammar School, Telford and Wrekin Council
, the Haberdashers' Company, and the DCSF, aims to bring the two schools together under a shared ethos and set of values. The Haberdashers' Company, as sponsors, brings 300 years of experience and expertise in education and the proposals will see Abraham Darby and Adams’ Grammar linked through governors, but continuing to act as separate schools. There will also be, as part of this project, substantial capital investment in both schools and Abraham Darby will have a ‘state of the art’ new school building by 2011.
's most famous sportsmen attended the various forms of Abraham Darby. Billy Wright, the former captain of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
and the England football team, attended Madeley Senior School and former English super-middleweight professional boxer Richie Woodhall
attended during the 1980s.
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, UK, is the current name for the comprehensive school on Hill Top Lane, Ironbridge Road in Madeley which was first founded in 1937. It is named after Abraham Darby III
Abraham Darby III
Abraham Darby III was an English ironmaster and Quaker. He was the third Abraham Darby in three generations of an English Quaker family that played a role in the Industrial Revolution....
and is situated approximately one mile from the world famous Iron Bridge
The Iron Bridge
The Iron Bridge crosses the River Severn at the Ironbridge Gorge, by the village of Ironbridge, in Shropshire, England. It was the first arch bridge in the world to be made out of cast iron, a material which was previously far too expensive to use for large structures...
which he built in 1779. In September 2008 the School was changed into an Academy
Academy (England)
In the education system of England, an academy is a school that is directly funded by central government and independent of control by local government in England. An academy may receive additional support from personal or corporate sponsors, either financially or in kind...
by linking it to Adams' Grammar School
Adams' Grammar School
Adams' Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Newport, Shropshire, rated by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills as a Grade 1 outstanding school , the latest OFSTED report concludes "this is a truly impressive school"...
and was accepted by the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Department for Children, Schools and Families
The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...
(DCSF).
The current headteacher is Stephen Hawke.
History
The school, now 84 years old (2011), was originally founded as Madeley Senior Council School, Hill Top, opened in 1927 with 400 mixed places. This original building still stands today as part of the school, now classed as E-block (due to it looking similar to the shape of an E from an aerial view). It later became known as Madeley Modern School from 1944, it was enlarged in 1958-9 and had 619 pupils by the end of 1959.It amalgamated with Coalbrookdale High School in 1965 to form the Abraham Darby Comprehensive School. There were 1,244 pupils in 1980.
The school has had 44 years of musical tradition and success, particularly with the wind band and the famous Abraham Darby Showband, which has played in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
and at the Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In recognician of this success, the school achieved Arts College
Arts College
Arts Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, the performing, visual and/or media arts...
status and again re-named itself, this time to the Abraham Darby School for the Performing Arts in 2003.
Development into an Academy
Between 2006 and 2008 there were significant improvements at Abraham Darby and the upgrade from a school into an Academy gave the opportunity to increase the pace of improvement still further and ensure excellent results for students.Links between Abraham Darby and Adams' Grammar will be developed at every level and will benefit both sets of students by allowing multiple opportunities for the sharing of resources, student and teacher exchanges and leadership training through a student prefect and mentoring system. Students in both schools will be part of a new house system and will be linked across the schools by colours. Through this system, students will be brought together for sporting, musical, drama and other events.
Both schools will be underpinned by a curriculum including the provision of cutting edge ICT, but will each have a different specialism; Abraham Darby School in performing arts and possibly business and enterprise, while Adams’ Grammar School will specialise in technology and modern languages.
Abraham Darby students received new uniform comprising a tie and blazer bearing the Haberdashers’ crest.
This unique project, which involves Abraham Darby School, Adams’ Grammar School, Telford and Wrekin Council
Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin is a unitary district with borough status in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. The district was created in 1974 as The...
, the Haberdashers' Company, and the DCSF, aims to bring the two schools together under a shared ethos and set of values. The Haberdashers' Company, as sponsors, brings 300 years of experience and expertise in education and the proposals will see Abraham Darby and Adams’ Grammar linked through governors, but continuing to act as separate schools. There will also be, as part of this project, substantial capital investment in both schools and Abraham Darby will have a ‘state of the art’ new school building by 2011.
Notable alumni
Some of ShropshireShropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
's most famous sportsmen attended the various forms of Abraham Darby. Billy Wright, the former captain of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
and the England football team, attended Madeley Senior School and former English super-middleweight professional boxer Richie Woodhall
Richie Woodhall
Richie Woodhall is a former English World Champion super-middleweight boxer. He lost his last fight to his friend Joe Calzaghe in 2000, and subsequently retired in 2002....
attended during the 1980s.