Unity College (Burnley)
Encyclopedia
Unity College is a mixed 11-16 comprehensive school
in Burnley
, Lancashire
, with specialisms in Arts and English.
programme.
The 20th January 2011 edition of Question Time
was broadcast from Unity College, with some pupils in the audience. The panel featured PFA
chairman and Burnley FC captain Clarke Carlisle
, Conservative
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman
, former Respect MP George Galloway
, former communications director to the Prime Minister Alastair Campbell
, and Lib Dem Deputy Leader Simon Hughes
.
In 2007, the school's value-added measure was 971 (national average 1000), which placed it in the bottom 5% nationally for adding value between the end of Key Stage 2
and the end of Key Stage 4
.
In 2009 the college had increased its attainment to 29% 5 A*-C passes including English and Maths. The college has also improved its 5A*-C measure from below 30% to 64% in just three years.
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
in Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, with specialisms in Arts and English.
History
Unity College has recently been successfully redesignated as a College specialising in English and the Arts. The College initially occupied the former Towneley High School, but moved to a state of the art new £33m building in September 2010 as part of the Building Schools for the FutureBuilding Schools for the Future
Building Schools for the Future is the name of the previous UK Government's investment programme in secondary school buildings in England. The program is very ambitious in its costs, timescales and objectives, with politicians from all English political parties supportive of the principle but...
programme.
The 20th January 2011 edition of Question Time
Question Time (TV series)
Question Time is a topical debate BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. The show typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience...
was broadcast from Unity College, with some pupils in the audience. The panel featured PFA
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
chairman and Burnley FC captain Clarke Carlisle
Clarke Carlisle
Clarke James Carlisle is an English professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Football League One side Preston North End, on loan from Burnley. Born in Preston, he began playing football at a young age, taking inspiration from his father who played semi-professionally. Carlisle...
, Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman
Caroline Spelman
Caroline Alice Spelman is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who has served as the Member of Parliament for Meriden in the West Midlands since 1997...
, former Respect MP George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
, former communications director to the Prime Minister Alastair Campbell
Alastair Campbell
Alastair John Campbell is a British journalist, broadcaster, political aide and author, best known for his work as Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister Tony Blair between 1997 and 2003, having first started working for Blair in 1994...
, and Lib Dem Deputy Leader Simon Hughes
Simon Hughes
Simon Henry Ward Hughes is a British politician and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats. He is Member of Parliament for the constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark. Until 2008 he was President of the Liberal Democrats...
.
Attainment
| Pupils with equivalent of 5 or more GCSEs grade C or above (inc. English & Maths) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year (Source) | Students | % special educational needs | England % | School % |
| 2004* (BBC) | 155 | 34.2 | 42.7 | 19.0 |
| 2005* (BBC) | 143 | 7.7 | 44.9 | 20.0 |
| 2006 | - | - | - | - |
| 2007 (BBC) | 151 | 15.9 | 46.7 | 21.0 |
| 2008 (BBC) | 149 | 20.8 | 47.6 | 19.0 |
| 2009 (BBC) | 161 | 14.2 | 49.8 | 29.0 |
| 2010 (DfE) | 169 | 14.8 | 53.4 | 36.0 |
| *Figures for previous school, in this case: Towneley High School | ||||
In 2007, the school's value-added measure was 971 (national average 1000), which placed it in the bottom 5% nationally for adding value between the end of Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2 is the legal term for the four years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6, when pupils are aged between 7 and 11. The term is applied differently in Northern Ireland where it refers to pupils in Year 5, Year 6 and...
and the end of 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...
.
In 2009 the college had increased its attainment to 29% 5 A*-C passes including English and Maths. The college has also improved its 5A*-C measure from below 30% to 64% in just three years.
Towneley High School
- Alice (Anne) NutterAlice Nutter (writer)-Early life:She was born Anne Nutter in Burnley, Lancashire and attended Towneley High School.-Writing:Nutter is currently a scriptwriter for theatre, radio and TV. Her theatre work includes Foxes at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and Where's Vietnam? for Red Ladder theatre company at West...
, musician and writer – ChumbawambaChumbawambaChumbawamba is a British musical group who have, over a career spanning nearly three decades, played punk rock, pop-influenced music, world music, and folk music... - David ReadmanDavid ReadmanDavid Readman is an English singer. Since 1994, he has been with the German-based band Pink Cream 69. He joined the French progressive metal band Adagio in 2000, but left the band in 2004...
, singer - Stella ReidStella ReidStella Reid is a British nanny, best known as the co-star of the Fox network reality television show Nanny 911, on which she shares her child-rearing expertise with desperate parents.-Early life:...
, TV nanny - Rob Sinclair, fighter