Audenshaw School
Encyclopedia
Audenshaw School is a male-only secondary school
in Audenshaw
, Greater Manchester
, England, established in 1932 as Audenshaw Grammar School. An adjoining co-educational sixth form college
was opened in 1997, the same year the school was granted foundation school
status. Audenshaw School, a specialist Technology College
, is the only non-denominational school in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside
.
As of 2009 the headmaster is Steve Turner, successor to Alan Crompton, who retired at Easter 2005. Turner has taught and been headmaster at several other schools, including Golborne High School
.
In the early-1970s pupils of Audenshaw Grammar School formed a Canal Restoration Society with the objective of cleaning, restoring and reopening the then derelict Ashton Canal
. Successful in their aim, the canal was reopened on 13 May 1974 by Denis Howel, then Member of Parliament for Birmingham Small Heath and the Minister for Sport.
In 1981 Graham Locke succeeded Exley as headmaster and in 1989, Audenshaw became one of the first Grant Maintained (GM) schools in England. The parents voted for the maintenance – 86% of those eligible voted; 91% of them voting in favour of the school receiving grant maintenance. Locke was headmaster until 1994 and the school's sports hall is named after him. Terry Hall has been the Chair of Governors since 1988. Locke was appointed to the Order of the British Empire
for his role in making Audenshaw a grant-maintained school and for services to the community and Hall was made an MBE
in 1997 for services to education. Along with Graham Locke, Hall led the school to GM status and more recently to Foundation status. He is the founder Member of the Grant Maintained Standing Advisory Committee (GMSAC).
Alan Crompton was headmaster from 1994 to 2005, when he retired and was succeeded by the current headmaster. In 1999, Audenshaw School won the inaugural – and only – schools' series of Channel 4
's daytime quiz show Fifteen to One
. During Crompton's tenure the school twice received "outstanding" ratings in reports by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted), taking it into the "best of the best" list published by Ofsted in 2004. However, In 2007, it was one of the 200 schools in England with the lowest staying-on rate for further education, when only 26.4% of year 11 pupils entered the sixth form. On 10 October 2007, the school celebrated its 75th anniversary and invited Anne, Princess Royal
to tour the new cadet facilities and officially "open" the Sixth Form. She also planted the first of 75 celebratory trees in the presence of the entire student body.
Audenshaw is no longer a grammar school. There are about 1,100 boys and over 100 girls (in the sixth form
).
Audenshaw School was granted Academy Status by the Secretary of State for Education on 1 September 2010.
The school is one of only 32 schools who were given permission to convert by the start of the new academic year.
The Audit has been the school magazine since 1998, when it was set up by pupil Ian Adderley, who was editor until 2005. Originally the magazine was printed in black and white A4 format, but it is now in A5 with a colour front and back cover. There are plans to extend colour to the rest of the magazine.
The Sixth Form Journal
Since September 2006, the Sixth Form has had its own magazine, The Sixth Form Journal. The magazine was set up after an article for The Audit was considered inappropriate for younger pupils.
was ranked 117th out of 148 in the country – and 8th out of Greater Manchester's 10 LEAs – based on the percentage of pupils attaining at least 5 A*–C grades at General Certificate of Secondary Education
(GCSE) including maths and English (41.8% compared with the national average of 47.6%). In 2008, Audenshaw was the most successful school in the borough, with 64% of its pupils achieving at least five GCSEs A*–C, ahead of the second-place St Thomas More RC College with 59%. The same year, Audenshaw School also lead the field in terms of A-level results of Tameside's three schools providing sixth form education; Audenshaw had an average of 1004.9 points per pupil, nearly 250 points ahead of the second-place Ashton Sixth Form College
. The 2008 results put Audenshaw School in the top echelon of English schools.
Other
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Audenshaw
Audenshaw
Audenshaw is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It is located on the east side of the River Tame, along the course of both the M60 motorway and the Ashton Canal, southwest of Ashton-under-Lyne and east of the city of Manchester...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England, established in 1932 as Audenshaw Grammar School. An adjoining co-educational sixth form college
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
was opened in 1997, the same year the school was granted foundation school
Foundation school
In England and Wales, a foundation school is a state-funded school in which the governing body has greater freedom in the running of the school than in community schools....
status. Audenshaw School, a specialist Technology College
Technology College
Technology College is a term used in the United Kingdom for a secondary specialist school that focuses on design and technology, mathematics and science. These were the first type of specialist schools, beginning in 1994. In 2008 there were 598 Technology Colleges in England, of which 12 also...
, is the only non-denominational school in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside
Tameside
The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after the River Tame which flows through the borough and spans the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. Its western...
.
As of 2009 the headmaster is Steve Turner, successor to Alan Crompton, who retired at Easter 2005. Turner has taught and been headmaster at several other schools, including Golborne High School
Golborne High School
Golborne High School is located in Golborne, Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, England. The school holds specialist Arts College status.-History:...
.
History
On 29 July 1932, Audenshaw Grammar School for Boys was opened, providing facilities for 300 pupils. The first headmaster was John Lord, who was in charge until 1955. He was followed by Ronald Porter (1955–1961), then Kenneth Exley (1961–1979).In the early-1970s pupils of Audenshaw Grammar School formed a Canal Restoration Society with the objective of cleaning, restoring and reopening the then derelict Ashton Canal
Ashton Canal
The Ashton Canal is a canal built in Greater Manchester in North West England.-Route:The Ashton leaves the Rochdale Canal at Ducie St. Junction in central Manchester, and climbs for through 18 locks, passing through Ancoats, Holt Town, Bradford-with-Beswick, Clayton, Openshaw, Droylsden,...
. Successful in their aim, the canal was reopened on 13 May 1974 by Denis Howel, then Member of Parliament for Birmingham Small Heath and the Minister for Sport.
In 1981 Graham Locke succeeded Exley as headmaster and in 1989, Audenshaw became one of the first Grant Maintained (GM) schools in England. The parents voted for the maintenance – 86% of those eligible voted; 91% of them voting in favour of the school receiving grant maintenance. Locke was headmaster until 1994 and the school's sports hall is named after him. Terry Hall has been the Chair of Governors since 1988. Locke was appointed to the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for his role in making Audenshaw a grant-maintained school and for services to the community and Hall was made an MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
in 1997 for services to education. Along with Graham Locke, Hall led the school to GM status and more recently to Foundation status. He is the founder Member of the Grant Maintained Standing Advisory Committee (GMSAC).
Alan Crompton was headmaster from 1994 to 2005, when he retired and was succeeded by the current headmaster. In 1999, Audenshaw School won the inaugural – and only – schools' series of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's daytime quiz show Fifteen to One
Fifteen to One
Fifteen to One was a popular general knowledge quiz show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. It ran from 4 January 1988 to 19 December 2003, and had a reputation for being one of the toughest quizzes on TV. Throughout the show's run it was presented and produced by William G. Stewart...
. During Crompton's tenure the school twice received "outstanding" ratings in reports by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted), taking it into the "best of the best" list published by Ofsted in 2004. However, In 2007, it was one of the 200 schools in England with the lowest staying-on rate for further education, when only 26.4% of year 11 pupils entered the sixth form. On 10 October 2007, the school celebrated its 75th anniversary and invited Anne, Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
to tour the new cadet facilities and officially "open" the Sixth Form. She also planted the first of 75 celebratory trees in the presence of the entire student body.
Audenshaw is no longer a grammar school. There are about 1,100 boys and over 100 girls (in the sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
).
Audenshaw School was granted Academy Status by the Secretary of State for Education on 1 September 2010.
The school is one of only 32 schools who were given permission to convert by the start of the new academic year.
Publications
The AuditThe Audit has been the school magazine since 1998, when it was set up by pupil Ian Adderley, who was editor until 2005. Originally the magazine was printed in black and white A4 format, but it is now in A5 with a colour front and back cover. There are plans to extend colour to the rest of the magazine.
The Sixth Form Journal
Since September 2006, the Sixth Form has had its own magazine, The Sixth Form Journal. The magazine was set up after an article for The Audit was considered inappropriate for younger pupils.
Results
In 2009, the Tameside Local Education AuthorityLocal Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
was ranked 117th out of 148 in the country – and 8th out of Greater Manchester's 10 LEAs – based on the percentage of pupils attaining at least 5 A*–C grades at General Certificate of Secondary Education
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
(GCSE) including maths and English (41.8% compared with the national average of 47.6%). In 2008, Audenshaw was the most successful school in the borough, with 64% of its pupils achieving at least five GCSEs A*–C, ahead of the second-place St Thomas More RC College with 59%. The same year, Audenshaw School also lead the field in terms of A-level results of Tameside's three schools providing sixth form education; Audenshaw had an average of 1004.9 points per pupil, nearly 250 points ahead of the second-place Ashton Sixth Form College
Ashton Sixth Form College
Ashton-under-Lyne Sixth Form College is a sixth form college located in Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, England.-Admissions:The college mostly accepts students graduating from the two secondary schools in Ashton-under-Lyne, as well as from the larger Tameside area...
. The 2008 results put Audenshaw School in the top echelon of English schools.
| Year | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |||||||
| Students with 5+ GCSE at A*–C including Maths and English |
66% | 64% | 64% | 64% | 57% | 64% | |||||||
| Source: BBC Online | |||||||||||||
Noted alumni
Sporting- Eric Evans (1921–1991): captained England's rugby team
- Dean SchofieldDean SchofieldDean Schofield is a professional Rugby union player who plays for RC Toulon. He plays lock and is a product of Aldwinians RUFC. He first came to prominence when scoring twice as Aldwinians beat Dudley Kingswinsford in the NPI Cup Final at Twickenham...
(b. 1979): plays professional rugby for Sale SharksSale SharksSale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
and England Saxons (England A) - Barry O'Driscoll: Ireland international rugby player of the 1970s
- John O'Driscoll (b. 1953): Ireland international and British Lions rugby player of the 1970s and 1980s
- Stephen ParryStephen Parry (cricketer)Stephen David Parry is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a slow left-arm bowler who currently plays for Lancashire....
: (b. 1986) LancashireLancashire County Cricket ClubLancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
cricketer. - Danny HallDanny Hall (footballer born 1983)Daniel Andrew 'Danny' Hall is an English footballer who currently plays for Hyde. , , , , and .-Career:Born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, he grew up in Dukinfield, Cheshire...
(b. 1983): Professional footballer who has played for GretnaGretna F.C.Gretna Football Club was a Scottish football club that represented the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland...
, Oldham Athletic and Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury Town F.C.Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
among others.
Other
- Mark HunterMark Hunter (politician)Mark James Hunter is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is the current Member of Parliament for Cheadle.-Education and background:...
(b. 1957): MP for Cheadle since 2005 - Mick HucknallMick HucknallMichael "Mick" Hucknall is a British singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the British band Simply Red, and is recognisable for his smooth, distinctive voice and wide vocal range, as well as his red curly hair.-Early life:...
(b. 1960): lead singer of the band Simply RedSimply RedSimply Red were a British soul band that sold more than 50 million albums over a 25-year career. Their style drew influences from blue-eyed soul, new romantic, rock, reggae and jazz... - Sir Ralph RileyRalph RileySir Ralph Riley FRS was a British geneticist.He was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1924 and served in the army during WWII...
(1924–1999): botanist and geneticistGeneticistA geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...