Thomas Deacon Academy
Encyclopedia
The Thomas Deacon Academy is an academy located in Peterborough
, England
. Built by contractors Laing O'Rourke
to a design by Foster and Partners
and Buro Happold
, the academy's construction began in June 2005, and it opened to students in September 2007. The academy houses approximately 2,200 students ranging from ages 11–19 and was built on the site of Deacon's School
in Queen's Gardens, Dogsthorpe
.
The total cost of the Thomas Deacon Academy is estimated at £46.4 million.
The Evening Telegraph has reported that this has risen to £50 million.
Contributors to the academy include Peterborough City Council, Perkins Engines and Deacon's School Trust, a charity created by the will of Thomas Deacon
in 1721.
The teaching and student bodies combined the students and staff of three local schools: Deacon's School
, John Mansfield School
and Hereward Community College, all of which closed in July 2007. The academy initially offered the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
to its sixth form
students as an alternative to A-Levels, but abandoned it in 2009 due to the IB being not cost-effective for the small number of students who choose to do it.
The academy uses a college system, with six areas of focus - maths, science, communications, humanities, arts and technology. The college system is intended to ensure that the school does not lose sight of individual students.
An average day at the Academy starts at 8.45am and finishes at 2.45pm, but students may also attend after-school activities and additional lessons.
The school initially attracted controversy because it lacked a playground and no outside breaks were planned.
However the students are now allowed outside during lunch breaks, but only in a small enclosed area.
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, 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...
. Built by contractors Laing O'Rourke
Laing O'Rourke
Laing O'Rourke is a multinational construction company headquartered in Dartford, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1978....
to a design by Foster and Partners
Foster and Partners
Foster + Partners is an architectural firm based in London. The practice is led by its founder and Chairman, Norman Foster, and has constructed many high-profile glass-and-steel buildings....
and Buro Happold
Buro Happold
Buro Happold is a professional services firm providing engineering consultancy, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of buildings, infrastructure and the environment, with its head office in Bath, Somerset...
, the academy's construction began in June 2005, and it opened to students in September 2007. The academy houses approximately 2,200 students ranging from ages 11–19 and was built on the site of Deacon's School
Deacon's School
Deacon's School was located in Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, England and was known for its rivalry with the nearby King's School. In 2007, the school was demolished and replaced by the Thomas Deacon Academy.-History:...
in Queen's Gardens, Dogsthorpe
Dogsthorpe
Dogsthorpe is a residential area and electoral ward of the city of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service maintain a fire station, crewed day and night and equipped with Water Tender, Rescue Vehicle and Aerial Platform, on Dogsthorpe...
.
The total cost of the Thomas Deacon Academy is estimated at £46.4 million.
The Evening Telegraph has reported that this has risen to £50 million.
Contributors to the academy include Peterborough City Council, Perkins Engines and Deacon's School Trust, a charity created by the will of Thomas Deacon
Thomas Deacon
Thomas Deacon was an English non-juror bishop, liturgical scholar and physician.He was born to William and Cecelia Deacon. After his mother married the non-juror bishop Jeremy Collier, the young Deacon was introduced to many of the leading Jacobite and non-juror figures including George Hickes...
in 1721.
The teaching and student bodies combined the students and staff of three local schools: Deacon's School
Deacon's School
Deacon's School was located in Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, England and was known for its rivalry with the nearby King's School. In 2007, the school was demolished and replaced by the Thomas Deacon Academy.-History:...
, John Mansfield School
John Mansfield School
John Mansfield School was located in the Dogsthorpe area of Peterborough, England. The school opened in the 1950s, when the estate had just been completed, and was originally an all-girls school for those who failed the 11+. In 1957, it became a mixed school opened to all student form year 7 to...
and Hereward Community College, all of which closed in July 2007. The academy initially offered the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
IB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
to its 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,...
students as an alternative to A-Levels, but abandoned it in 2009 due to the IB being not cost-effective for the small number of students who choose to do it.
The academy uses a college system, with six areas of focus - maths, science, communications, humanities, arts and technology. The college system is intended to ensure that the school does not lose sight of individual students.
An average day at the Academy starts at 8.45am and finishes at 2.45pm, but students may also attend after-school activities and additional lessons.
The school initially attracted controversy because it lacked a playground and no outside breaks were planned.
However the students are now allowed outside during lunch breaks, but only in a small enclosed area.