Garforth Community College
Encyclopedia
Garforth Academy is a secondary school
and sixth form
for pupils aged 11–18 and is located on Lidgett Lane (B6137) in Garforth
, West Yorkshire
, England
.
The college has specialist Arts College status. It has been awarded the Artsmark
(2002), Investors in People
Award, (2003), Schools Achievement Award, (2003), Education Extra award, (2001), Sportsmark
, (2002) and Beacon School
status (2003), and OFSTED describes the college as an "outstanding school"
The College occupies an area of 28 acres, with playing fields, sports facilities including an artificial turf
pitch and several large halls, including a recently refurbished main sports hall. In being a a specialist
performing Arts College
, the college has undergone extensive improvements to Music, Media and Information Technology
departments, including specialised professional sound production hardware, and well equipped public music, or drama spaces. Recently, Child Care facilities have been added to the range of courses available.
It is also one of the pioneering schools behind a finger-print placed lunch payment system, and recent refurbishment to the catering areas has led to the creation of comfortable and modern social areas - a balance being struck been the 1960s design, and the demands of modern day education.
enhancement and support programmes for its students seriously. A range of holiday activities are offered by the College and before and after school care for working parents is offered on-site through an Ofsted approved private partner.
The College’s Youth & Community Programme offers evening and weekend activities featuring a range of leisure and skills based courses, a 6-14 Junior Academy programme for Dance and Hair and Beauty and full day workshop sessions for adults. Family Language classes welcome parents to learn alongside their children in French & Spanish. Parents are also supported with classes offered at strategic times, where they can be introduced to the mysteries and demands of Key Stage 3 Maths, English and Science and learn about the pressures the children are placed under at GCSE in terms of assignments and projects.
All parents are also invited to join COMPAS, the College’s Parent Teacher Association. Its prime intention is to encourage a better understanding between parents and teachers for the benefit of all students in the College.
After 2.30, the end of the school day, the College has a full range of enrichment activities with clubs, societies, sports, drama and music groups, open to all students. Student support activities include a homework club, which meets four times a week, and a mentoring scheme for targeted students. Furthermore, The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is very active in College and a full-time Youth Worker operates on-site.
The Specialist School designation provides the opportunity and funding to specialise in Arts activities. The College has a vibrant Saturday
Performing Arts School and provides the management structure and energy for the annual Garforth Arts Festival
.
grammar school described his shock on his first day of the pupils wearing 'menacing boots' and watching his classmates 'literally kicking seven shades out of each other'.
results in Leeds LEA
according to the Yorkshire Evening Post
. As a result of dramatic improvements in the past decade, The Head Teacher, Paul Edwards, received a Knighthood in the New Year Honours 2009
for services to local and national education. In 2009 Mr Ian Colly replaced Edwards after being appointed Chairman.
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...
and 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,...
for pupils aged 11–18 and is located on Lidgett Lane (B6137) in Garforth
Garforth
Garforth is a town within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. The 2001 Census lists 23,892 residents in the Garforth and Swillington ward - 80.57% of which are homeowners, 20% more than the average for Leeds. Garforth itself has 15,394 of those people...
, 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....
, 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...
.
The college has specialist Arts College status. It has been awarded the Artsmark
Artsmark
Artsmark is a national award scheme managed by Arts Council England. The scheme, that is open to all schools in England, recognises schools with a high level of provision in the arts.There are three levels of award:* Artsmark Gold* Artsmark Silver...
(2002), Investors in People
Investors in People
Launched in 1991 Investors in People is a business improvement tool administered by UK Commission for Employment and Skills and supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills ....
Award, (2003), Schools Achievement Award, (2003), Education Extra award, (2001), Sportsmark
Sportsmark
Sportsmark is Sport England's accreditation scheme for secondary schools. The scheme recognises a school's out of hours sports provision.Sportsmark awards are given to secondary schools for provision for sport and physical education. They are currently being reviewed along with Activemark awards...
, (2002) and Beacon School
Beacon School
Beacon School was a government designation awarded to outstanding primary and secondary schools in England and Wales from 1998 to August 2005. The Beacon Schools programme identified schools that were examples of good practice and funded those schools to enable them to build partnerships with each...
status (2003), and OFSTED describes the college as an "outstanding school"
Campus
The colleges pupil and staff numbers vary yearly at around 2,000 from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, as the 2004 Ofsted review highlights.The College occupies an area of 28 acres, with playing fields, sports facilities including an artificial turf
Artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
pitch and several large halls, including a recently refurbished main sports hall. In being a a specialist
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
performing Arts College
Arts College
Arts Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, the performing, visual and/or media arts...
, the college has undergone extensive improvements to Music, Media and 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...
departments, including specialised professional sound production hardware, and well equipped public music, or drama spaces. Recently, Child Care facilities have been added to the range of courses available.
It is also one of the pioneering schools behind a finger-print placed lunch payment system, and recent refurbishment to the catering areas has led to the creation of comfortable and modern social areas - a balance being struck been the 1960s design, and the demands of modern day education.
In the community
The College places itself at the centre of its community and takes its responsibility for lifelong learning and the provision of enrichment,enhancement and support programmes for its students seriously. A range of holiday activities are offered by the College and before and after school care for working parents is offered on-site through an Ofsted approved private partner.
The College’s Youth & Community Programme offers evening and weekend activities featuring a range of leisure and skills based courses, a 6-14 Junior Academy programme for Dance and Hair and Beauty and full day workshop sessions for adults. Family Language classes welcome parents to learn alongside their children in French & Spanish. Parents are also supported with classes offered at strategic times, where they can be introduced to the mysteries and demands of Key Stage 3 Maths, English and Science and learn about the pressures the children are placed under at GCSE in terms of assignments and projects.
All parents are also invited to join COMPAS, the College’s Parent Teacher Association. Its prime intention is to encourage a better understanding between parents and teachers for the benefit of all students in the College.
After 2.30, the end of the school day, the College has a full range of enrichment activities with clubs, societies, sports, drama and music groups, open to all students. Student support activities include a homework club, which meets four times a week, and a mentoring scheme for targeted students. Furthermore, The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is very active in College and a full-time Youth Worker operates on-site.
The Specialist School designation provides the opportunity and funding to specialise in Arts activities. The College has a vibrant Saturday
Performing Arts School and provides the management structure and energy for the annual Garforth Arts Festival
Garforth Arts Festival
The Garforth Arts Festival is an annual arts festival that takes place in Garforth, Leeds, in the United Kingdom. The events take place over a two week period in July, ending with a full-day ‘Playground Party’ on the final Saturday. The festival features a variety of art forms, including comedy;...
.
In Literature
In the book The Modfather, David Lines describes his time at the school in the late 1970s and early 1980s in great detail. He described the school as looking like a cold hard slab of institutionalised concrete and after leaving a leafy NottinghamshireNottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
grammar school described his shock on his first day of the pupils wearing 'menacing boots' and watching his classmates 'literally kicking seven shades out of each other'.
Academic performance
The school gets the best GCSEGeneral 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...
results in Leeds LEA
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
according to the Yorkshire Evening Post
Yorkshire Evening Post
The Yorkshire Evening Post is a daily evening publication published by Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
. As a result of dramatic improvements in the past decade, The Head Teacher, Paul Edwards, received a Knighthood in the New Year Honours 2009
New Year Honours 2009
The New Year Honours 2009 principally for the United Kingdom as well as the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 31 December 2008, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2009....
for services to local and national education. In 2009 Mr Ian Colly replaced Edwards after being appointed Chairman.
Notable alumni
- Chris SilverwoodChris SilverwoodChristopher Eric Wilfred Silverwood is an English first-class cricketer.Educated at Garforth Comprehensive School in Leeds, as a right-arm fast-medium pace bowler Silverwood made his debut for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1993...
, cricketer - Gary KeedyGary KeedyGary Keedy is a slow-left arm spin bowler for Lancashire. He played one match for Yorkshire in 1994, having graduate from their cricket academy, before moving to Lancashire. He has played for the club since 1995 and has, over 500 first-class wickets...
, cricketer - Lucy-Jo HudsonLucy-Jo HudsonLucy-Jo Hudson is a British actress, best known for playing the role of Katy Harris in the long-running soap opera, Coronation Street from 2002–05, and as Rosie Trevanion in the ITV drama Wild at Heart from 2006–09....
, actress - Ryan HudsonRyan HudsonRyan Hudson is an English professional rugby league footballer for the Castleford Tigers of Super League. His position is hooker and he is the captain of the Tigers...
, rugby league player - Tommy SpurrTommy SpurrThomas "Tommy" Spurr is an English footballer currently playing as a defender for Doncaster Rovers.-Sheffield Wednesday:Spurr was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Where he played for Seacroft Colts AFC as a youngster...
, footballer - Andrew White (musician)Andrew White (musician)Andrew "Whitey" White is the lead and rhythm guitarist of the English alternative rock band Kaiser Chiefs.-Biography:He is an original member of the band Runston Parva, which later became Parva. He is also left-handed....
, lead guitarist of the Kaiser ChiefsKaiser ChiefsKaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who formed in 1996. They were named after the South African football club Kaizer Chiefs.... - Mark CurryMark Curry (television presenter)Mark Curry is an English television presenter most often in children's programmes.- Early career :He started his television career aged seven appearing on ITV's Junior Showtime and played the producer in the film Bugsy Malone .In 1981, Curry co-hosted the series Get Set For Summer on BBC1 with...
, television presenter - Jenny WallworkJenny WallworkJenny Wallwork is an English badminton player who has achieved international success in both the women's events and the mixed doubles event. She won the mixed doubles Bulgarian International in 2004, the Scottish Open in 2005, and the Dutch Open in 2006. She won the women's doubles at the Irish...
, badminton, playing partner of Nathan RobertsonNathan RobertsonNathan James Robertson is an English badminton player who has achieved international success in both the men's events and the mixed doubles event... - Danny Walton, rugby league player
- David Lines - Author of The Modfather who wrote about his time at the school in the late 1970s and early 1980s and his obsession with Paul WellerPaul WellerPaul Weller is an English singer-songwriter. Starting with the band The Jam , Weller then went on to branch out musically to a more soulful style with The Style Council...
.