East Point Academy
Encyclopedia
East Point Academy is an academy located in the Kirkley
district of Lowestoft
, in the English
county of Suffolk
. It educates children from ages 11 to 16. Before September 2011, the school was known as Kirkley Community High School
's "Gene Simmons' Rock School" was filmed at the academy (when it was Kirkley Community High School). Auditions were held, and after much deliberation, 11 students were picked and were subsequently taught the basics of rock music by KISS
bassist Gene Simmons
. Simmons' eventually selected five of the students to perform as a rock group. The show culminated with the group opening for Judas Priest
and Anthrax
in front of 2,300 fans in LA
. The lead singer of the band, Lil' Chris
, was signed to RCA
records. Five of the girls featured on the show went on to form a band called The Upraw; three of the founder members of the band have since quit.
When originally opened by TV personality Helen McDermott
in late 2007, the station was located in V11, a newly-built classroom on the first floor of the academy. However, in June 2008, it was relocated to the KITE Media Centre, a newly-built centre located on the exterior grounds of the academy.
Kirkley
Kirkley is a place within the town of Lowestoft in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. Kirkley is located south of the centre of the town. Although today it forms part of the urban area of Lowestoft, it was originally a village....
district of Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
, in the English
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...
county of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. It educates children from ages 11 to 16. Before September 2011, the school was known as Kirkley Community High School
Gene Simmons' Rock School
In Autumn 2005, the second series of Channel 4Channel 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 "Gene Simmons' Rock School" was filmed at the academy (when it was Kirkley Community High School). Auditions were held, and after much deliberation, 11 students were picked and were subsequently taught the basics of rock music by KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
bassist Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
. Simmons' eventually selected five of the students to perform as a rock group. The show culminated with the group opening for Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
and Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
in front of 2,300 fans in LA
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The lead singer of the band, Lil' Chris
Lil' Chris
Christopher James Hardman , more commonly known by his stage name Lil' Chris, is an English singer-songwriter, DJ and television personality.-Rock School:...
, was signed to RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
records. Five of the girls featured on the show went on to form a band called The Upraw; three of the founder members of the band have since quit.
K-Play Radio
The academy currently has a non-profit, streaming internet radio station. Entitled "K-Play Radio", the station currently broadcasts a wide range of Rock, Indie and UK Chart Music. The station was founded in 2005, with initial funding coming from Adnams Brewery LTD.Adnams Brewery
Adnams PLC is a British regional brewery company founded in 1890 in Southwold, Suffolk, England, by George and Ernest Adnams. The earliest recorded brewing on the Adnams site was in 1396 by Johanna de Corby. The company produces cask ale and pasteurised bottled beers. Annual production is around...
When originally opened by TV personality Helen McDermott
Helen McDermott
Helen McDermott is a British radio and television presenter, best known for her work at Anglia Television.A graduate of the University of East Anglia, McDermott begun her broadcasting career in the 1970s as a continuity announcer and newsreader for Westward Television in Plymouth...
in late 2007, the station was located in V11, a newly-built classroom on the first floor of the academy. However, in June 2008, it was relocated to the KITE Media Centre, a newly-built centre located on the exterior grounds of the academy.
KITE Media Centre
The KITE Media Centre is a state-of-the-art design and technology centre, equipped with a multi-media production studio, TV, Radio and Video workshops, a community information centre and a wireless internet connection, that is located on the exterior grounds of the school. The centre was built and opened on the site in late 2007. The centre itself also provides facilities for use with the Media Studies GCSE course that is currently on offer at the academy. The centre was given initial funding by school governors (when it was Kirkley Community High School), however, has recently been granted £20,000 from the EU.Academy Lunch System
In 2007, the academy (as Kirkley Community High School) introduced a fingerprinting system for school lunches, allowing pupils to avoid paying cash at the till and having to carry money around with them. Parents are also able to send a cheque to the school which can be entered directly onto the cash system.Notable alumni
- Justin HawkinsJustin HawkinsJustin David Hawkins is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist of The Darkness, alongside his brother, guitarist Dan Hawkins...
, Dan HawkinsDan Hawkins (musician)Daniel Francis Hawkins is an English rock guitarist, noted for his strong revival of 1970s classic rock and 1980s metal....
and Ed GrahamEd GrahamEdwin James "Ed" Graham is an English musician who is best known as the drummer of rock band The Darkness, as well as the subsequent successor band Stone Gods, before officially leaving in 2008 due to a physical inability to perform.Graham is one of four children and as a youth, he attended...
of British rockBritish rockBritish rock describes a wide variety of forms of music made in the United Kingdom. Since around 1964, with the "British Invasion" of the United States spearheaded by The Beatles, British rock music has had a considerable impact on the development of American music and rock music across the...
group The Darkness are former pupils of the school. They later returned to the school to open the new music wing in 2004. - Singer and TV presenter Lil' ChrisLil' ChrisChristopher James Hardman , more commonly known by his stage name Lil' Chris, is an English singer-songwriter, DJ and television personality.-Rock School:...
, who featured in the series of Rock SchoolRock SchoolRock School is a British reality TV series starring Gene Simmons , in which he has a short time to turn a class of school children into a fully fledged rock band, at the end of which they must perform in a supporting slot for a leading rock band.Rock School is made by British production company...
that was filmed at the school, went on to release two albums and four singles. - International Boxing Star and Big Brother: Celebrity HijackBig Brother: Celebrity HijackBig Brother: Celebrity Hijack was an E4 temporary replacement to Celebrity Big Brother, a spin-off series of the British reality television programme Big Brother, airing on E4, with a number of closely associated programmes also airing on the same channel...
housemate Anthony OgogoAnthony OgogoAnthony Osezua Ogogo is an international boxer who has captained Great Britain's team in the World European and Junior Olympic Tournaments...
is a former pupil of the school.