Brooke Weston
Encyclopedia
Brooke Weston Academy is an Academy in Corby
, Northamptonshire
, United Kingdom
, teaching students from age 11 to 18. It has consistently placed very highly in GCSE league tables and has an above average value added score at Key Stage 4
. The value added score for Key Stage 5
is below average. Attainment on entry is well above average and the proportions of students with learning difficulties and disabilities or eligible for free school meals are much lower than average.
Until September 2008, the school operated as a City Technology College
.
. The college's catchment area includes Corby
, Kettering
and surrounding towns and villages. Two businessmen, Hugh de Capell Brooke, a local landowner, and Garry Weston
, owner of Associated British Foods
donated land and funded the initial building of the school respectively, along with additional grants from the Weston Foundation. The school opened in September 1991 under the name Brooke City Technology College. The name was changed 18 months later to reflect the continued support offered from the Weston Foundation.
There are five lessons within a school day all lasting 1 hour 15 minutes long, which allows for extra curricular learning.
Students receive a fifteen minute breakfast break during lesson one, and a thirty minute lunch break in lesson three. They do not have playtime during these breaks, but do have an option to sit in the courtyard located in the centre of the school during the summer time.
The school day ends at 4:05pm with school buses departing at 4:15pm from the front of the college. After-school activities and clubs are also available for students wishing to stay on past 4:05pm, students however cannot stay on, on Friday. Students who choose to stay on can only stay in the school until 6pm. There are eight tutor groups in each year group and these are as follows: B, R, K, W, E, S, T, and N.
Brooke Weston holds an annual prizegiving in September of each year, celebrating the achievements of the students for the previous academic year. Prizes are awarded in each year for all subjects, student of the year, and also recognition for academic success in GCSE and A Level.
suite, with CAD/CAM facilities and a laser cutter. The CAD/CAM suite also includes an A3 colour laser printer. The department also includes two workshops containing CNC lathes, wood-turning lathes, metal working lathes, scroll saws and pillar drills, jig-saws and clamps
as well as plenty of other equipment. The department also features excellent facilities for textiles and sewing
as well as an area for students to review and edit design plans digitally using a range of programs. It was recently refurbished at a cost of £250,000.
The school also has its own video editing studio with chroma-key (blue-screen) facility.
86% of Brooke Weston pupils achieved the equivalent of 5 or more A*-C GCSEs including English and maths (100% A*-C GCSEs).
It also achieved an 100% A*-C pass rate.
Nearly a quarter of all 183 students achieved 10 or more A* or A grades, and exactly a third of all grades awarded were an A or A*.
Three students achieved 17 A* and A grades (including GNVQ ICT), and 2 students achieved the equivalent of 19 GCSEs.
In A Level, Brooke Weston achieved an 100% pass rate, including 48% of those being an A or B grade. In five subjects, all entries received A grade achievements.
38% of all grades awarded were A* or A, and seven students achieved 17 GCSEs each.
Top performing students achieved 15 A* or A grades.
Brooke Weston also achieved its best ever A Level results this year, with an 100% pass rate.
61% of grades awarded were A*/A+B, and the average UCAS point score
for each student also increased dramatically.
In 2011, two students successfully received grades to study at Cambridge University, one at Oxford University, two for Medicine and one for Dentistry.
68% of all exams were graded at A*/A or B(up 7 percent from the year before), with 6% of all exam entries being awarded the coveted A* grade.
100% of students passed all the A Levels they sat.
The average UCAS point score
per student increased to 379, up from 334 from the previous year, indicating that on average every student secured the equivalent of three A grades.
Hugh de Capell Brooke on 9 October 2009, this has expanded the school's music and drama performing facilities alongside a new TV studio and kitchens, which will allow Food Technology to be taught. The entire school building underwent a significant refurbishment to coincide with the opening of the new department.
In September 2009, the Partnership became partly responsible for the running of the new Kettering Science Academy
. This 3-18 school replaced both the Ise Community College and Henry Gotch Primary School.
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, teaching students from age 11 to 18. It has consistently placed very highly in GCSE league tables and has an above average value added score at Key Stage 4
Key Stage 4
Key Stage 4 is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate GCSEs, and other exams, in maintained schools in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland—normally known as Year 10 and Year 11 in England and Wales, and Year 11 and Year 12 in Northern Ireland, when pupils are...
. The value added score for Key Stage 5
Key Stage 5
Key Stage 5 is an unofficial label used to describe the two years of post-compulsory education for students aged 16-18, or at sixth form, in the United Kingdom, to align with previous Key Stages as labelled for the National Curriculum....
is below average. Attainment on entry is well above average and the proportions of students with learning difficulties and disabilities or eligible for free school meals are much lower than average.
Until September 2008, the school operated as a City Technology College
City Technology College
In England, a City Technology College is a state-funded all-ability secondary school that charges no fees but is independent of local authority control, being overseen directly by the Department for Education....
.
Background
Founded in 1991, the school was opened as a City Technology CollegeCity Technology College
In England, a City Technology College is a state-funded all-ability secondary school that charges no fees but is independent of local authority control, being overseen directly by the Department for Education....
. The college's catchment area includes Corby
Corby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
, Kettering
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
and surrounding towns and villages. Two businessmen, Hugh de Capell Brooke, a local landowner, and Garry Weston
Garry Weston
Garfield "Garry" Howard Weston, CBE was a Canadian-born businessman in the United Kingdom. Born in Toronto, Ontario, he was the son of Reta and W. Garfield Weston, owner of the George Weston Limited conglomerate headquartered in Toronto: fourth of their nine children...
, owner of Associated British Foods
Associated British Foods
Associated British Foods plc is a global food, ingredients and retail company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its ingredients division is the world's second largest producer of both sugar and baker's yeast and a major producer of other ingredients including emulsifiers, enzymes and lactose...
donated land and funded the initial building of the school respectively, along with additional grants from the Weston Foundation. The school opened in September 1991 under the name Brooke City Technology College. The name was changed 18 months later to reflect the continued support offered from the Weston Foundation.
School day
Lessons begin within school at 8:35am, and all students are required to sign in to the school using their cards by 8:30am.There are five lessons within a school day all lasting 1 hour 15 minutes long, which allows for extra curricular learning.
Students receive a fifteen minute breakfast break during lesson one, and a thirty minute lunch break in lesson three. They do not have playtime during these breaks, but do have an option to sit in the courtyard located in the centre of the school during the summer time.
The school day ends at 4:05pm with school buses departing at 4:15pm from the front of the college. After-school activities and clubs are also available for students wishing to stay on past 4:05pm, students however cannot stay on, on Friday. Students who choose to stay on can only stay in the school until 6pm. There are eight tutor groups in each year group and these are as follows: B, R, K, W, E, S, T, and N.
Principals
- Gareth Newman CBE: 1991 - 1999. Was awarded a CBE in 1997 in recognition of his services to education. The library at Brooke Weston is named after him in his honour.
- Sir Peter Simpson OBE: 1999 - 2007. Was awarded an OBEOrder of the British EmpireThe 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...
in recognition of his services to the school. He was knighted in the Queen's Birthday HonoursQueen's Birthday HonoursThe Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
2011 (see below). - Trish Stringer: 2007–Present.
Information technology
The school makes use of electronic whiteboards in all classrooms, learning bases and study rooms. Every student and member of staff have their own user accounts and storage areas. The school also houses a local area network, allowing students to access their work from any computer within a safe environment, and abiding to a usage policy. Strict filtering remains in place to stream-line the learning experience for the good of the pupils.Online curriculum
The school produces and sells an ‘online curriculum’. This consists of a wide range of interactive learning materials and online tasks which all relate to various subject areas. The school's subsidiary company, @tain, then sells access to the content to other schools. In addition, the school also provides training days which allow teaching staff from other schools to attend seminars at the school and learn the methods in which the school teaches the courses provideed on its online curriculum and how to maximise the effectiveness of using it in a classroom environment.School traditions
Each year, the school holds it annual sports day at Corby Triangle near Rockingham where it displays almost all popular track and field disciplines. Sport's day also includes the final of the inter-tutor Tug of War competition. Sports Day is highly popular for students, and each tutor group in a year competes against each other to gain the most points and win the trophy. Tutor groups also participate in inter-tutor football and rounders/netball each year.Brooke Weston holds an annual prizegiving in September of each year, celebrating the achievements of the students for the previous academic year. Prizes are awarded in each year for all subjects, student of the year, and also recognition for academic success in GCSE and A Level.
Other facilities
The school also has a Design TechnologyDesign Technology
Design and Technology is a school subject offered at all levels of primary and secondary school. In some countries such as England it is a part of the National Curriculum. It is offered in many countries around the world such as Brunei, Bermuda, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Jordan...
suite, with CAD/CAM facilities and a laser cutter. The CAD/CAM suite also includes an A3 colour laser printer. The department also includes two workshops containing CNC lathes, wood-turning lathes, metal working lathes, scroll saws and pillar drills, jig-saws and clamps
Clamp (tool)
A clamp is a fastening device to hold or secure objects tightly together to prevent movement or separation through the application of inward pressure...
as well as plenty of other equipment. The department also features excellent facilities for textiles and sewing
Sewing
Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era...
as well as an area for students to review and edit design plans digitally using a range of programs. It was recently refurbished at a cost of £250,000.
The school also has its own video editing studio with chroma-key (blue-screen) facility.
2007
86% of Brooke Weston pupils achieved the equivalent of 5 or more A*-C GCSEs including English and maths.2008
Brooke Weston achieved a 100% A level pass rate.86% of Brooke Weston pupils achieved the equivalent of 5 or more A*-C GCSEs including English and maths (100% A*-C GCSEs).
2009
81% of Brooke Weston pupils achieved the equivalent of 5 or more A*-C GCSEs including English and Maths.It also achieved an 100% A*-C pass rate.
Nearly a quarter of all 183 students achieved 10 or more A* or A grades, and exactly a third of all grades awarded were an A or A*.
Three students achieved 17 A* and A grades (including GNVQ ICT), and 2 students achieved the equivalent of 19 GCSEs.
In A Level, Brooke Weston achieved an 100% pass rate, including 48% of those being an A or B grade. In five subjects, all entries received A grade achievements.
2010
Students at Brooke Weston achieved an 86% pass rate of A*-C grades in GCSE including Maths and English.38% of all grades awarded were A* or A, and seven students achieved 17 GCSEs each.
Top performing students achieved 15 A* or A grades.
Brooke Weston also achieved its best ever A Level results this year, with an 100% pass rate.
61% of grades awarded were A*/A+B, and the average UCAS point score
UCAS Tariff
The UCAS Points System is a means of differentiating students based upon grades from various post-GCSE qualifications. It is used as a means of giving students from the UK and Republic of Ireland places at UK universities.-Points system:...
for each student also increased dramatically.
2011
In 2011, two students successfully received grades to study at Cambridge University, one at Oxford University, two for Medicine and one for Dentistry.
68% of all exams were graded at A*/A or B(up 7 percent from the year before), with 6% of all exam entries being awarded the coveted A* grade.
100% of students passed all the A Levels they sat.
The average UCAS point score
UCAS Tariff
The UCAS Points System is a means of differentiating students based upon grades from various post-GCSE qualifications. It is used as a means of giving students from the UK and Republic of Ireland places at UK universities.-Points system:...
per student increased to 379, up from 334 from the previous year, indicating that on average every student secured the equivalent of three A grades.
Recent development
In September 2008, Brooke Weston converted to an Academy. £5 million of Government money has been invested in the school, which has resulted in the construction of a new Creative and Digital Arts Centre. Opened by TrusteeTrustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
Hugh de Capell Brooke on 9 October 2009, this has expanded the school's music and drama performing facilities alongside a new TV studio and kitchens, which will allow Food Technology to be taught. The entire school building underwent a significant refurbishment to coincide with the opening of the new department.
Brooke Weston Partnership
The school is in partnership with the Corby Business Academy, which has replaced the former Corby Community College. The former principal of Brooke Weston, Peter Simpson, is the Executive Principal of the Brooke Weston Partnership, with principals Dr Andrew Campbell and Trish Stringer respectively in charge of each school.In September 2009, the Partnership became partly responsible for the running of the new Kettering Science Academy
Kettering Science Academy
Kettering Science Academy is a Science School in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, teaching pupils from age 3 to 18....
. This 3-18 school replaced both the Ise Community College and Henry Gotch Primary School.