Cramlington Learning Village
Encyclopedia
Cramlington Learning Village, formerly Cramlington Community High School, is a large high school in Cramlington
, Northumberland
, England
.
to a new town
under the New Towns Act 1946
. The name was changed to Cramlington Community High School in the early 1990s as part of Northumberland County Council's plan to encourage community use of all of its formerly county high schools.
The incumbent head teacher, Derek Wise CBE
(born 6 June 1949), who had joined the school in 1990 and in 1997 pioneered the process of "Accelerated Learning" died after a long fight with Hodgkin's Lymphoma
on 16 June 2010.
The school claims to be a place "where the science of learning meets the art of teaching". Headteacher Derek Wise and Deputy Head Mark Lovatt wrote the book, Creating an Accelerated Learning School, explaining their implementation of accelerated learning techniques including Information Technology
at CLV. It is published by Network Press as part of their Accelerated Learning series.
The main buildings of the school were originally constructed in 1969, consisting of a tin-plastic mixture. The main buildings include two 'blocks' (known as Inspire and Innovate) with general classrooms, 'Imagine' (a design, craft, food & ICT block), two dining halls attached to Inspire and Innovate (known as Inspire Cafe and Innovate Cafe respectively), 'Investigate', where the school's unique "Learning to Learn", "TDU" and "iCitizen" subjects are taught, the 'Learning Plaza', which is a mixture of a social area frequented by Years 9 to 11 (formerly the Social Block) equipped with computers, conferencing facilities and even a recording studio. Additionally there is a Vocational Studies block (formerly Music & Drama) where subjects such as hairdressing and construction are taught.
More recent additions to the school's architecture include the Sixth Form
centre (now known as the Advanced Learning Village), built in 1996 for the purpose of hosting AS-Level
and A-Level students. Its features include a social area, a small café and the 'Independent Learning Centre', a room for self-study with computers. Also housed within are two small classrooms for subjects such as sociology
, psychology
and government
& politics
.
Another more recent addition is the Sporting Club, owned by Northumberland County Council
and used by students for physical education
. It contains a fitness suite, a dance studio, tennis courts, several fields (for football and rugby
as well as cricket
in the summer), a student-built cricket pavilion, and Astroturf
for sports during wet weather, and also for hockey. There are also several large halls suitable for indoor sports.
The most recent addition, completed in the summer of 2008, is the Cramlington Junior Learning Village. Costing £11 million, the centre contains resources for teaching Years 7 and 8 after the council reforms of September 2008 which moved the education system in Northumberland
to the two-tier system after decades of using the three-tier system. Also contained within are resources for music and performing arts, after they were relocated to make way for the Vocational Centre.
. - In 2008, the school undertook a cultural and linguistical exchange with Polyvalente Hyacinthe-Delorme in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
, Canada
- Yearly exchange with an unknown school in Spain. Students swap places with other students.
Cramlington
Cramlington is a town and civil parish in the county of Northumberland, North East England, situated north of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. The town's name suggests a probable founding by the Danes or an Anglo-Saxon origin, the word "ton" meaning town. The population was estimated as 39,000 in...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
The school was established in 1969 as Cramlington County High School, after the upgrading of CramlingtonCramlington
Cramlington is a town and civil parish in the county of Northumberland, North East England, situated north of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. The town's name suggests a probable founding by the Danes or an Anglo-Saxon origin, the word "ton" meaning town. The population was estimated as 39,000 in...
to a new town
New towns in the United Kingdom
Below is a list of some of the new towns in the United Kingdom created under the various New Town Acts of the 20th century. Some earlier towns were developed as Garden Cities or overspill estates early in the twentieth century. The New Towns proper were planned to disperse population following the...
under the New Towns Act 1946
New Towns Act 1946
The New Towns Act 1946 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which allowed the government to designate areas as new towns, and passing development control functions to a Development Corporation. Several new towns were created in the years following its passing...
. The name was changed to Cramlington Community High School in the early 1990s as part of Northumberland County Council's plan to encourage community use of all of its formerly county high schools.
The incumbent head teacher, Derek Wise CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(born 6 June 1949), who had joined the school in 1990 and in 1997 pioneered the process of "Accelerated Learning" died after a long fight with Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma, previously known as Hodgkin's disease, is a type of lymphoma, which is a cancer originating from white blood cells called lymphocytes...
on 16 June 2010.
Present day
Operating under the new two-tier system in Northumberland implemented September 2008, the school takes students from age 11-18. It is a Science College and was recently awarded a second specialism in Vocational education. In 2003 it was selected as one of the nation's "Leading Edge" schools by the office of Public Service Reform (Cabinet Office).The school claims to be a place "where the science of learning meets the art of teaching". Headteacher Derek Wise and Deputy Head Mark Lovatt wrote the book, Creating an Accelerated Learning School, explaining their implementation of accelerated learning techniques including Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
at CLV. It is published by Network Press as part of their Accelerated Learning series.
The main buildings of the school were originally constructed in 1969, consisting of a tin-plastic mixture. The main buildings include two 'blocks' (known as Inspire and Innovate) with general classrooms, 'Imagine' (a design, craft, food & ICT block), two dining halls attached to Inspire and Innovate (known as Inspire Cafe and Innovate Cafe respectively), 'Investigate', where the school's unique "Learning to Learn", "TDU" and "iCitizen" subjects are taught, the 'Learning Plaza', which is a mixture of a social area frequented by Years 9 to 11 (formerly the Social Block) equipped with computers, conferencing facilities and even a recording studio. Additionally there is a Vocational Studies block (formerly Music & Drama) where subjects such as hairdressing and construction are taught.
More recent additions to the school's architecture include 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,...
centre (now known as the Advanced Learning Village), built in 1996 for the purpose of hosting AS-Level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
and A-Level students. Its features include a social area, a small café and the 'Independent Learning Centre', a room for self-study with computers. Also housed within are two small classrooms for subjects such as sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
& politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
.
Another more recent addition is the Sporting Club, owned by Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council
Northumberland County Council is a unitary authority in North East England. It was originally formed in 1889 as the council for the administrative county of Northumberland and reformed in 1974 to cover a the newly formed non-metropolitan county of Northumberland...
and used by students for physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. It contains a fitness suite, a dance studio, tennis courts, several fields (for football and rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
as well as cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
in the summer), a student-built cricket pavilion, and Astroturf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
for sports during wet weather, and also for hockey. There are also several large halls suitable for indoor sports.
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
to the two-tier system after decades of using the three-tier system. Also contained within are resources for music and performing arts, after they were relocated to make way for the Vocational Centre.
Foreign exchange visits
- The school has a biennial exchange to Bettendorf, IowaBettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Bettendorf is the fifteenth largest city in the U.S. state of Iowa and the fourth largest city in the "Quad Cities". As of the 2010 United States Census the population grew to 33,217. Bettendorf is one of the Quad Cities, along with...
. - In 2008, the school undertook a cultural and linguistical exchange with Polyvalente Hyacinthe-Delorme in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Saint-Hyacinthe is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 55,823. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie region, and is traversed by the Yamaska River which flows...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- Yearly exchange with an unknown school in Spain. Students swap places with other students.
Notable alumni
- Ross NobleRoss NobleRoss Markham Noble is an English stand-up comedian, brought up in Cramlington, Northumberland, England.Noble rose to mainstream popularity through making appearances on British television, particularly interviews and on celebrity quiz shows such as Have I Got News for You...
, Comedian - Mark ClattenburgMark ClattenburgMark Clattenburg is an English professional football referee, who officiates primarily in the Premier League, and for FIFA. He is based in Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
, Premiership and FIFA referee - Graeme OwensGraeme OwensGraeme Adam Owens is an English footballer who is currently playing with Airdrie United in the Scottish Second Division.-Career:Owens can play on either wing but prefers to play on the right...
, footballer with Middlesbrough F.C - James Brown (footballer), footballer with Hartlepool United F.C
- Stephen MillerStephen Miller (athlete)Stephen Miller is a British athlete who competes in the fields of Paralympic club and discus throwing.Miller won several medals at the Cerebral Palsy World Championships in 2005, including gold in the F32 club and gold in the F32 discus.He has won gold in the club throw at the 1996 Paralympic...
, Gold medal-winning British paralympicsParalympic GamesThe Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
athlete - Martin BrittainMartin BrittainMartin Brittain is an English footballer, who currently plays for Gateshead.-Career:Born in Cramlington, Northumberland, Brittain started his career at Newcastle United as a youngster. Brittain made his debut for Newcastle on 3 March 2004 as a substitute in a 3-1 win over Vålerenga in the UEFA Cup...
, former Newcastle United youth footballer, currently at Gateshead FC - Martin Taylor, footballer with Birmingham F.C.