Freeston Business and Enterprise College
Encyclopedia
Freeston Business and Enterprise College (known locally as just Freeston) is a state run, coeducational high school situated in Normanton
, West Yorkshire
near the city of Wakefield
. It is a Business and Enterprise
specialist school.
of Altofts
and built as a local grammar school
, which was later moved to its current location in the 1950s, where only a chimney remains in the original location. The school has experienced much success over recent years with results improving consistently. In 2006, the school provided the highest number of pupils gaining five A-C GCSE grades in its history with 50% of students reaching five A-Cs, an improvement from 33% in 2004. The school has witnessed a recent injection of investment, becoming a Business and Enterprise College
in 2003.
Since the start of 2003, most classrooms were given electronic whiteboards with touchscreens (as opposed to the earlier use of overhead projectors), personal laptops for teachers, a new science block and a sports centre.
The school was previously undergoing plans of demolishing, re-designing and re-building Freeston within the grounds, with a school expected to be built around 2011. Unfortunately, due to cutbacks by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government, most school-redesign projects were called off.
The school has recently been noticed by the British public after Head of Business Ed Vickerman won 'The SSAT Award for Outstanding New Teacher of the Year' at the Teaching awards 2009
Normanton, West Yorkshire
Normanton is a town and civil parish within the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is northeast of Wakefield and southwest of Castleford, and at the time of the 2001 Census, the population was 19,949.-History:...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
near the city of Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
. It is a Business and Enterprise
Business and Enterprise College
Business and Enterprise Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields...
specialist school.
History
Freeston Business and Enterprise College was founded in 1592 by John FreestonJohn Freeston
John Freeston is known by the locals of Altofts and Normanton, West Yorkshire. Admitted in 1544 to Gray's Inn in London as a barrister, Freeston is best known for the founding of the Normanton Grammar School, forerunner of the Freeston Business & Enterprise College in 1592...
of Altofts
Altofts
Altofts is a village near Normanton, West Yorkshire, England. The village is usually quiet, having a mixed population of young and old. There are four pubs, two Working Men's Clubs, a handful of small shops, one post office and a few farms. Lower Altofts is the area at the lower end of the village...
and built as a local grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, which was later moved to its current location in the 1950s, where only a chimney remains in the original location. The school has experienced much success over recent years with results improving consistently. In 2006, the school provided the highest number of pupils gaining five A-C GCSE grades in its history with 50% of students reaching five A-Cs, an improvement from 33% in 2004. The school has witnessed a recent injection of investment, becoming a Business and Enterprise College
Business and Enterprise College
Business and Enterprise Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields...
in 2003.
Since the start of 2003, most classrooms were given electronic whiteboards with touchscreens (as opposed to the earlier use of overhead projectors), personal laptops for teachers, a new science block and a sports centre.
The school was previously undergoing plans of demolishing, re-designing and re-building Freeston within the grounds, with a school expected to be built around 2011. Unfortunately, due to cutbacks by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government, most school-redesign projects were called off.
The school has recently been noticed by the British public after Head of Business Ed Vickerman won 'The SSAT Award for Outstanding New Teacher of the Year' at the Teaching awards 2009
Academics
The last Ofsted report in September 2007 concluded that Freeston Business and Enterprise College provides a sound education for its students, supported by a strong governing body and providing support for students and parents alike. The school has Enterprise Hub Status and works successfully with nine West Yorkshire schools.Notable features
- Library
- Six ICT rooms (With 20+ PC units in each)
- Outdoor tennis courts, rugby, football and cricket fields and an all-weather pitch
- Community centre and sports hall providing numerous facilities for the public in and out of school hours