The JCB Academy is a non-selective co-educational secondary school within the English Academy programme, in Rocester

Rocester

Rocester is a village and civil parish in the East Staffordshire district of Staffordshire, England. Its name is spelt Rowcestre in the Domesday Book.-Geography:...

, Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

, 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...

. It specializes in engineering diploma

Diploma

A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...

s.

The Academy is named after its sponsor, construction equipment manufacturer J. C. Bamford Excavators Limited

J. C. Bamford

JCB is a global construction, demolition and agricultural equipment company headquartered in Rocester, United Kingdom. It is the world's third-largest construction equipment manufacturer. It produces over 300 types of machines, including diggers , excavators, tractors and diesel engines...

. It is a registered charity

Charitable organization

A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

 under the formal name The JCB Academy Trust. Sir Anthony Bamford decided to set it up.

The school opened in September 2010 in the converted and refurbished Arkwright Mill in Rocester. It has a new teaching wing and workshops.

The specialist programmes should benefit from the close link with JCB, as well as JCB's relationships with other major engineering firms in the area such as Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a British manufacturer of luxury automobiles based at the Goodwood plant in West Sussex, England. It is the current producer of Rolls-Royce branded automobiles, whose historical production dates back to 1904. The factory is located across from the historic Goodwood Circuit...

 and Toyota.

Background

Opened in September 2010, this is a school for 14-19 year-old students who specialise in Engineering and Business. Focus is on delivering high-quality engineering and business education.. The JCB Academy is one of the first University Technical Colleges in the UK. Its curriculum

Curriculum

See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...

 and learning techniques allow students to combine theory with practical activities.

During the past year, many students have taken part in specific engineering challenges designed to improve the skills of the students. As this is the first year the expectations are not set too high but the students have continued to rise above all of the expectations set for them. This is encouraging and hope for the new academy to be one of the best continues to improve as many are left believing that the schools high standards will improve the current students and improve the engineering decline that the UK currently faces.

Facilities

The school has learning areas, 2 full-size engineering workshops, break-out areas for relaxation and private study, and a sixth form common-room area. It has also sports facilities and an activity studio. Much of the learning is via virtual learning environment

Virtual learning environment

Defined largely by usage, the term virtual learning environment has most, if not all, of the following salient properties:* It is Web-based* It uses Web 2.0 tools for rich 2-way interaction* It includes a content management system...

 (VLE): students are provided with laptop

Laptop

A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...

s.

The Academy opened in September 2010 for its first intake. Capacity will eventually be approximately 120 students in each of the four year groups.

Uniform

A business ethos surrounds all the work at The JCB Academy and students are all expected to look businesslike and wear the uniform, which includes jackets and ties, boilersuits, workboots and sports kit - available from The JCB Academy website

For industrial safety reasons the school tie

School tie

The school tie and the old school tie are a style of necktie which are British institutions particularly associated with public schools.-School tie:...

 is clip-on

Clip-on tie

The clip-on tie is a bow tie or four-in-hand tie which is permanently tied, with a dimple just below the knot, and which is fixed to the front of the shirt collar by a metal clip...

, not tied round the neck.

Hoodie

Hoodie

A hoodie is a sweatshirt with a hood. The characteristic design includes large frontal pockets, a hood, and a drawstring to adjust the hood opening. They are sometimes worn with sweatpants. Some hoodies have zippers on them to allow easy removal much like a jacket...

s are allowed, but only a navy blue

Navy blue

Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue which almost appears as black. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world....

 colored type sold at the JCB Academy shop.

Houses

The academy is divided into three houses

House system

The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...

, named Bamford (after JCB founder Joseph Cyril Bamford) and Arkwright (after industrialist Richard Arkwright

Richard Arkwright

Sir Richard Arkwright , was an Englishman who, although the patents were eventually overturned, is often credited for inventing the spinning frame — later renamed the water frame following the transition to water power. He also patented a carding engine that could convert raw cotton into yarn...

) and Royce (after Rolls-Royce founder Henry Royce

Henry Royce

Sir Frederick Henry Royce, 1st Baronet, OBE was a pioneering car manufacturer, who with Charles Stewart Rolls founded the Rolls-Royce company.-Early life:...

). Their house colours in school sports are gold for Bamford, green for Arkwright, red for Royce.