The King's Academy
Encyclopedia
The King's Academy is an 11–19 secondary school
and academy located in Coulby Newham
in the borough of Middlesbrough
and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire
, England
, serving the community of South Middlesbrough. Established in 2003, it is run by the Emmanuel Schools Foundation
established by entrepreneur Sir Peter Vardy
. It was officially opened by Prime Minister
Tony Blair
in March 2004.
It was built to replace the former Local Authority run Brackenhoe and Coulby Newham secondary schools and Beverley School for the Deaf, accepting its first students from educational years 7 to 11 on 8 September 2003 and first opening its sixth form a year later. It has capacity for 1,250 students and promotes a specialism in Business and Enterprise. It is wholly funded by the Department for Education
and operates the same intake policy as that in place across all other Local Authority-maintained schools in Middlesbrough. It reserves 10% of its intake for children with Statements of Special Educational Needs, specifically for those with hearing and visual impairment and those with moderate learning difficulties.
In its first eight years of operation, the academy increased its GCSE pass rate (5 A–C) from 34% in 2004 to 81% in 2011 In both 2007 and 2008 it was given a Contextual Value Added (CVA) score that placed it in the top 10% of all schools nationally for the progress its students make between the start of Year 7 and the end of Year 11. In January 2009, The Guardian newspaper ranked The King's Academy amongst the top 50 most improved secondary schools in the country. The academy runs a sixth form, where examination results have improved consistently over the last four years.
able Purpose, Humility
, Compassion
, Integrity
, Accountability
, Courage
and Determination.
Even before it opened, opponents of City Academies and of the Emmanuel Schools Foundation
, including the prominent British scientist and atheist Richard Dawkins
, claimed that the Academy would teach creationism
in science lessons; this allegation was published in the national press and repeated for a few years.
However, the school consistently denied teaching creationism. Finally, in 2006, The Guardian
visited the school and published a strongly supportive article, emphasising that associating the school with creationism "couldn't be more wrong."
students study English, mathematics, science, business studies, ICT and enterprise, French or German or Spanish, history, geography, religious education, engineering or resistant materials, food technology, art & design, music, drama and physical education.
At Key Stage 4
all of the above subjects may be studied through an options system, plus English literature, double or triple science, economics, graphic products, textiles, electronics, business communications, health & social care and travel & tourism.
At Key Stage 5
, Advanced Level
s are offered in English language, English literature, mathematics & mechanics, mathematics & statistics, further mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, applied science, French, German, applied business, applied ICT, economics, history, geography, psychology, religious education, product design, food technology, art, textiles, theatre studies, music and physical education. BTECs are offered in business, sport, ICT and health & social care.
High Scorers' Concert in October each year. The King's Academy's Gospel Choir won the "Boro's Got Talent" Competition at the Riverside Stadium in 2008.
, Year 9 Paris Trip, Year 6 Transition Week, Art & Textiles Exhibition, Tall Ships Challenge
, Year 11 Principal's Dinner, Year 13 Leavers' Dinner, Sports Day, Sports Review Dinner and Prizegiving. Recent school trips abroad have included Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Rome, skiing in the French and Italian Alps, charitable work in South Africa and a football tour of Texas, USA.
The academy runs a comprehensive programme of House competitions throughout the year, where all four Houses compete against one another in each of the following disciplines: cross country, table tennis, boys' football, girls' football, boys' rugby, girls' hockey, boy's basketball, girls' netball, boys' cricket, girls' rounders, athletics, swimming, fishing, poetry, art, maths, short story writing, general knowledge, performing arts, chess, photography, cookery, merits and House boards.
The King's has recently established a partnership and exchange programme with No.2 Middle School in Cangzhou, Hebei Province, China.
, and constructed by Surgo Construction. Its accommodation comprises over 80 classrooms, 12 seminar rooms, a main hall (seating 500) and lecture theatre (seating 270), a large sports hall (lined out for basketball, tennis, badminton, five-a-side football and with indoor cricket nets), a dance studio and fitness suite, school library, sixth form study centre and common room, drama studio and music recording studio, two restaurants, a full size floodlit astroturf pitch (lined out for hockey and football), a large hard court multi-use games area (lined out for netball and tennis) and extensive playing fields (lined out for football and rugby in the autumn and spring terms and for athletics and cricket in the summer term).
The school was the first to have closed-circuit television
cameras installed in all classrooms. The Head reported in the school's first year that CCTV had already proved valuable in protecting a teacher against false allegations.
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 academy located in Coulby Newham
Coulby Newham
Coulby Newham is a large housing estate in the borough of Middlesbrough and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England, with a resident population of 10,700....
in the borough of Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough (borough)
-External links:*...
and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, 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...
, serving the community of South Middlesbrough. Established in 2003, it is run by the Emmanuel Schools Foundation
Emmanuel Schools Foundation
The Emmanuel Schools Foundation is a charitable trust which has been involved in education since 1989.ESF sponsored four schools: Emmanuel City Technology College in Gateshead , The King's Academy in Middlesbrough , Trinity Academy in Thorne, Doncaster and Bede Academy in Blyth, Northumberland...
established by entrepreneur Sir Peter Vardy
Peter Vardy (businessman)
Sir Peter Vardy is a British businessman and philanthropist from Houghton-le-Spring in Durham. His business interests have been mainly in the automotive retail business...
. It was officially opened by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
in March 2004.
It was built to replace the former Local Authority run Brackenhoe and Coulby Newham secondary schools and Beverley School for the Deaf, accepting its first students from educational years 7 to 11 on 8 September 2003 and first opening its sixth form a year later. It has capacity for 1,250 students and promotes a specialism in Business and Enterprise. It is wholly funded by the Department for Education
Department for Education
The Department for Education is a department of the UK government responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education....
and operates the same intake policy as that in place across all other Local Authority-maintained schools in Middlesbrough. It reserves 10% of its intake for children with Statements of Special Educational Needs, specifically for those with hearing and visual impairment and those with moderate learning difficulties.
Academic achievement
In the academy's first Ofsted report in 2005 it was described as "a good school with many strong features". In its second Ofsted report in 2009 it was described as "a good school with many outstanding features". Ofsted report gradings in 2009 were "Outstanding" for Care, Guidance and Support and for Personal Development and Well-being and "Good" in all other areas.In its first eight years of operation, the academy increased its GCSE pass rate (5 A–C) from 34% in 2004 to 81% in 2011 In both 2007 and 2008 it was given a Contextual Value Added (CVA) score that placed it in the top 10% of all schools nationally for the progress its students make between the start of Year 7 and the end of Year 11. In January 2009, The Guardian newspaper ranked The King's Academy amongst the top 50 most improved secondary schools in the country. The academy runs a sixth form, where examination results have improved consistently over the last four years.
Ethos and values
The academy has a non-denominational Christian ethos. It promotes seven Core Values, namely: HonourHonour
Honour or honor is an abstract concept entailing a perceived quality of worthiness and respectability that affects both the social standing and the self-evaluation of an individual or corporate body such as a family, school, regiment or nation...
able Purpose, Humility
Humility
Humility is the quality of being modest, and respectful. Humility, in various interpretations, is widely seen as a virtue in many religious and philosophical traditions, being connected with notions of transcendent unity with the universe or the divine, and of egolessness.-Term:The term "humility"...
, Compassion
Compassion
Compassion is a virtue — one in which the emotional capacities of empathy and sympathy are regarded as a part of love itself, and a cornerstone of greater social interconnection and humanism — foundational to the highest principles in philosophy, society, and personhood.There is an aspect of...
, Integrity
Integrity
Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions...
, Accountability
Accountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
, Courage
Courage
Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation...
and Determination.
Even before it opened, opponents of City Academies and of the Emmanuel Schools Foundation
Emmanuel Schools Foundation
The Emmanuel Schools Foundation is a charitable trust which has been involved in education since 1989.ESF sponsored four schools: Emmanuel City Technology College in Gateshead , The King's Academy in Middlesbrough , Trinity Academy in Thorne, Doncaster and Bede Academy in Blyth, Northumberland...
, including the prominent British scientist and atheist Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
, claimed that the Academy would teach creationism
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
in science lessons; this allegation was published in the national press and repeated for a few years.
However, the school consistently denied teaching creationism. Finally, in 2006, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
visited the school and published a strongly supportive article, emphasising that associating the school with creationism "couldn't be more wrong."
Curriculum
At Key Stage 3Key Stage 3
Key Stage 3 is the legal term for the three years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, when pupils are aged between 11 and 14...
students study English, mathematics, science, business studies, ICT and enterprise, French or German or Spanish, history, geography, religious education, engineering or resistant materials, food technology, art & design, music, drama and physical education.
At Key Stage 4
Key Stage 4
Key Stage 4 is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate GCSEs, and other exams, in maintained schools in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland—normally known as Year 10 and Year 11 in England and Wales, and Year 11 and Year 12 in Northern Ireland, when pupils are...
all of the above subjects may be studied through an options system, plus English literature, double or triple science, economics, graphic products, textiles, electronics, business communications, health & social care and travel & tourism.
At Key Stage 5
Key Stage 5
Key Stage 5 is an unofficial label used to describe the two years of post-compulsory education for students aged 16-18, or at sixth form, in the United Kingdom, to align with previous Key Stages as labelled for the National Curriculum....
, Advanced Level
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...
s are offered in English language, English literature, mathematics & mechanics, mathematics & statistics, further mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, applied science, French, German, applied business, applied ICT, economics, history, geography, psychology, religious education, product design, food technology, art, textiles, theatre studies, music and physical education. BTECs are offered in business, sport, ICT and health & social care.
Music and drama
Students participate in a wide range of music and drama events throughout the year, including showcase events such as the performing arts festival, summer music evening and annual prize giving ceremony. The Academy hosts the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of MusicAssociated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
ABRSM is an internationally recognised educational body and charity that provides examinations in music The organisation, based in London, UK, runs exams in centres all over the world...
High Scorers' Concert in October each year. The King's Academy's Gospel Choir won the "Boro's Got Talent" Competition at the Riverside Stadium in 2008.
Major sports
Major sports throughout the autumn and spring terms are boys' football and rugby and girls' hockey and netball. Boys' basketball is also played. Major sports in the summer term are athletics, boys' cricket and girls' rounders. Tennis is also played.Activities and events
Major annual events in the academy calendar include the Performing Arts Festival, Staff vs Dads' Soccer Match, Christmas Carol Service, Senior Citizens' Party, Fashion Show, Careers Fair, Principal's Race Night, ESF Olympics, School Production, ESF Business Game, Year 8 Residential Week at StainsacreStainsacre
Stainsacre is a village in the civil parish of Hawsker-cum-Stainsacre in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire.The village's population in 1809 was 144....
, Year 9 Paris Trip, Year 6 Transition Week, Art & Textiles Exhibition, Tall Ships Challenge
Tall Ships Challenge
The Tall Ships Challenge is an annual event organized by the American Sail Training Association alternating in a three year cycle between the Great Lakes, the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts of North America....
, Year 11 Principal's Dinner, Year 13 Leavers' Dinner, Sports Day, Sports Review Dinner and Prizegiving. Recent school trips abroad have included Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Rome, skiing in the French and Italian Alps, charitable work in South Africa and a football tour of Texas, USA.
The academy runs a comprehensive programme of House competitions throughout the year, where all four Houses compete against one another in each of the following disciplines: cross country, table tennis, boys' football, girls' football, boys' rugby, girls' hockey, boy's basketball, girls' netball, boys' cricket, girls' rounders, athletics, swimming, fishing, poetry, art, maths, short story writing, general knowledge, performing arts, chess, photography, cookery, merits and House boards.
The King's has recently established a partnership and exchange programme with No.2 Middle School in Cangzhou, Hebei Province, China.
Publications
The academy publishes a Yearbook once per year plus two Academy Times and one Sporting Times per year. News items on the website are updated on a weekly basis.Facilities
The academy was purpose-built in 2003, designed by architects Howarth Litchfield Partnership and consulting engineers CundallCundall
Cundall is a hamlet in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is one of the Thankful Villages that suffered no fatalities during the Great War of 1914 to 1918....
, and constructed by Surgo Construction. Its accommodation comprises over 80 classrooms, 12 seminar rooms, a main hall (seating 500) and lecture theatre (seating 270), a large sports hall (lined out for basketball, tennis, badminton, five-a-side football and with indoor cricket nets), a dance studio and fitness suite, school library, sixth form study centre and common room, drama studio and music recording studio, two restaurants, a full size floodlit astroturf pitch (lined out for hockey and football), a large hard court multi-use games area (lined out for netball and tennis) and extensive playing fields (lined out for football and rugby in the autumn and spring terms and for athletics and cricket in the summer term).
The school was the first to have closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
cameras installed in all classrooms. The Head reported in the school's first year that CCTV had already proved valuable in protecting a teacher against false allegations.
Principals
| Years | Name |
|---|---|
| 2003 – 2005 | Nigel McQuoid |
| 2005 – Present | Christopher Drew |
House Cup
| Years | Winners | House Manager | Head of House |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003/04 | Steve Garland | Christopher Drew | |
| 2004/05 | Sue Lawrance | John Rhodes | |
| 2005/06 | Steve Baxter | Christopher Drew | |
| 2006/07 | Steve Baxter | Christopher Drew | |
| 2007/08 | Ellie Unwin | Gary Wiecek | |
| 2008/09 | Diane Parkin | Henry Gowland | |
| 2009/10 | Sue Lawrance | John Rhodes |
School Productions
| Year | Production | Director | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Oliver! | June Walker | 30–31 March |
| 2005 | Bugsy Malone | 5–7 July | |
| 2006 | Hello, Dolly! | 11–13 July | |
| 2007 | Bye Bye Birdie | 27–29 March | |
| 2008 | The Sound of Music | 1–4 April | |
| 2009 | Godspell | 24–27 March | |
| 2011 | Fiddler On The Roof | 29 March–1 April | |
| 2011 | Pygmalion (Sixth Form Play) | Danielle Paul | 16–18 November |
Sister Schools
| School | Location |
|---|---|
| Emmanuel College Emmanuel City Technology College Emmanuel College is a secondary school based in Gateshead, England. It was founded in 1990 as a City Technology College, i.e. a secondary school which is partly funded by donations from business donors who remain involved in management of the college. Emmanuel now instructs up to 1,250 students... |
 GatesheadGateshead Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside... |
| Trinity Academy Trinity Academy, Thorne Trinity Academy is a non-selective co-educational secondary school in the English Academy programme, at Thorne near Doncaster, South Yorkshire.... |
Doncaster Doncaster Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"... |
| Bede Academy Bede Academy Bede Academy is an 3–18 academy located in Blyth, Northumberland, England. Opened in 2009, it is run by the Emmanuel Schools Foundation established by entrepreneur Sir Peter Vardy... |
Blyth Blyth, Northumberland Blyth is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 21 kilometres northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne... |
Partner School
| School | Location |
|---|---|
| Cangzhou No.2 Middle School |  CangzhouCangzhou Cangzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Cangzhou's urban center has a population of approximately 514,074 at the 2010 census which correspond to the built up area), while the prefecture-level administrative region in total has a population of 7,134,053... |