George Spencer Academy

George Spencer Academy
Address
Arthur Mee Road Stapleford , Nottinghamshire , NG9 7EW England
Information
Type	Comprehensive academy
Established	1960
Local authority	Nottinghamshire
Specialist	Technology
Department for Education URN	122903 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Head teacher	Mrs Susan Jowett
Gender	mixed
Age	11 to 18
Enrollment	1353
Website	http://www.george-spencer.notts.sch.uk/

The George Spencer Academy (formerly George Spencer Foundation School and Technology College) is a British academy in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire which encompasses both a comprehensive school and a sixth form college on the same campus. First opened in 1960, it was named after George Spencer, the charismatic headmaster of the Church Street Boys School from 1889 to 1927. He was a county councillor, a member of several choral societies, very much involved in the Adult School Movement and Superintendent at the Methodist New Connexion Chapel. It is a specialist school focussing on design and technology with its sixth form being a Technology College (established in 2004). At the college, between three and five A-Levels can be studied with General Studies taken by Year 12 students.

Geography

The school is situated in Stapleford near the Toton boundary. Able to be seen from Stapleford's Bardill's roundabout, it has a lower and an upper site over the A52 and is consequently the only school in England to have a footbridge over an A road.

Admissions

Students begin education at George Spencer at the age of 11. The school has three feeder schools: Fairfield Primary School, Chetwynd Road Primary School and Bispham Drive Primary School, however children from other primary schools are able to apply. At the end of year 11 (aged 16), students often stay on at the academy's sixth form but are free to leave and attend other institutions for further education, apprenticeships or employment. In June 2006 the school was the subject of a ruling by the schools adjudicator.

History

1960-1980s

The school was established in 1960 and originally consisted of the lower site. It was expanded to include the upper site in the late 1970s.

Soon after, a local unit (Broxtowe) for very able and gifted pupils was created at the school, known as a Curriculum Development Unit, following the report Gifted Children in Midland Comprehensive Schools, published by HMI (now Ofsted). It was set up by the then Conservative-controlled county council, and was a seven-year experiment which was opposed by the council's Labour representatives as they claimed the area (compared to northern Nottinghamshire and central Nottingham) "already socially well-advantaged". The (Labour) Chairman of the Nottinghamshire education committee Fred Riddell intended to close the unit by July 1981, after Labour gained power on the council in May 1981. He claimed the curriculum unit meant that five comprehensive schools in Broxtowe were receiving twice as much money as "inner city" comprehensive schools per capita, and that children in the immediate Broxtowe area were more "socially fortunate". Also, to spend such money on fortunate children was morally and educationally wrong. The unit cost £100,000 to set up and £300,000 to run each year with fifteen attached subject specialist teachers. Small groups of gifted pupils from the local five schools were taught in twice-weekly tutorials in subjects such as Maths, Science and Computing with summer schools and Saturday clubs. It was designed to enrich the curriculum and extend the knowledge of children with special ability, with the work produced by the local project to later be extended to the rest of the county; it wanted to widen what was available at comprehensive schools. It was headed by Ethel Milroy, and claimed to be the largest centre of its kind in the UK for comprehensive schools. 600 children (around 20% of all children at the schools) aged 11-13 were taught twice-weekly at the centre. The centre closed at the end of the summer term in 1981, and was not subsequently re-opened. The centre invoked much of the ethos of a grammar school, much disliked by the Labour councillors on the council. The type of curriculum-enriching work done by the unit has latterly been introduced across schools in England and Wales, by Advanced Skills Teachers (ASTs) - known as "superteachers". The school was one of the first to introduce these in the late 1990s, although was criticised for being "elitist" and "divisive", when the headteacher was Tom Clark (Head from 1983-2003).

1990s and 2000s

From the 1990s the school had around 900 boys and girls. A ballot of parents in 1993 resulted in the school becoming grant-maintained when known as George Spencer Comprehensive School. It has since become a Foundation school and has been awarded Beacon School status. In 1994 it became one of the first schools to acquire the Technology College specialisation. It was thus known as George Spencer Foundation School and Technology College and was also a Leading Edge school. Its sixth form Technology College opened in 2004.

2010 onwards

The school is celebrating its 50th birthday, having turned the grey globe on its logo gold with a "50", and placing a "GS" on the golden book. "60s Day" took place on 19 November 2010 and an aerial photo of everyone associated with the school arranged in a "50" is due to take place on the main playing field on 24 March 2011. On 17 August 2010, following consideration of all the consultation feedback, the governing body of George Spencer Foundation School took the decision to continue the conversion to Academy status. After hearing from the Secretary of State Michael Gove, the school successfully converted with effect from 1 September 2010, and was in the first wave of converted schools. This gave the school new privileges and opportunities for students and staff, spawning a new educational phase for the school.

On 21 October 2010, George Spencer's hall was used as a venue for a question and answer session on government spending cuts, which saw David Cameron and Nick Clegg visiting the school in the afternoon.

Academic performance

It gets good GCSE results, and A level results as good as a grammar school, although lower than Bilborough College. It gets the equal-second-best GCSE results in Nottinghamshire LEA, with Rushcliffe School, second to Southwell Minster School. In 2010 Ofsted graded George Spencer as outstanding in 27/27 of the criteria.

George Spencer Radio

George Spencer Academy has its own radio station known simply as George Spencer Radio, started by former pupil Michael Sibert in 2004. The station broadcasts daily and is available throughout the entire school through a computer programme.

National Teaching Awards

Chris Haggett, Director of Activities, Enterprise and Enrichment, was presented with the teaching award for Enterprise in the East Midlands. He was then nominated for the same catergory at the National Teaching Awards. He did not attain this prize.

Alumni

• Ben King, actor and member of Rooster Teeth Productions
• Nigel McCrery, screenwriter

References

• The Guardian, 2 June 1981, page 11
• The Guardian, 17 August 1985, page 15

External links

• EduBase
• Selecting by ability not aptitude in August 2006