Ashby School
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Ashby School | |
---|---|
Address | |
Nottingham Road , , LE65 1DT England | |
Coordinates | 52°44′54″N 1°27′48″W / 52.74844°N 1.46335°W |
Information | |
Type | Academy |
Established | 1567 |
Department for Education URN | 138833 Tables |
Ofsted | Reports |
Head teacher | Mr E Green |
Gender | Coeducational |
Age | 14 to 19 |
Enrollment | 1976 |
Houses | 8 |
Publication | The Ashbeian |
Former name | Ashby Grammar School |
Website | http://www.ashbyschool.org.uk |
Ashby School, formerly known as Ashby Grammar School, is a co-educational day and boys' boarding upper school with academy status in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England. The school is situated in the centre of Ashby on two sites.
History
Ashby Grammar School, the original boys' school, was founded in 1567 by Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon.[1] The girls' grammar school opened in 1901. They merged in 1972 and became comprehensive. Ashby School became an Academy on 1 October 2012.
Headteachers
- T. A. Woodcock OBE
- Charles Padel
- John Brinsley the elder
- Dr Ron Alison
- David Edward Herbert
- Cedric Ingleton
- Vivian Keller Garnet
- Eddie Green
- Geoff Staniforth
Former teachers
- Sir Mike Tomlinson CBE, Chief Inspector of Schools from 2000-2 (head of chemistry from 1969–77)
Infrastructure
Ashby School is based on three main sites (A, B and C blocks), based on adjacent roads. The school has spent considerable funds on the construction of a new science block, new rooms in the design department, and more recently, a new block built to accommodate music, art and media studies. In 2007, a modern block was built for English. Construction of the new sixth form centre has recently been completed, there is now a social area, a canteen area and an area for relaxing and talking to friends which is referred to as the "airport lounge". The state-of-the-art centre includes wireless computer facilities and a Sixth-Form dining area.
Houses
The school has eight houses: Ashe (grey), Bullen (yellow), Crewe (orange), Erdington (red), Ferrers (blue), Gylby (pink), Hastings (green) and Loudoun (purple).[2] Each house chooses a charity for the year for which it raises money.
Performance
The school adheres to the Ofsted national school grading system and received good (ranking 2/4) as an average for all areas assessed.[3] The highest rating areas were responsibility of governors, workplace skill development and student well-being where a score of outstanding (rank 1/4) was attained.
Gifted and talented
'Da Vinci' is the school's current gifted and talented system. The 'Tip Tops' is a group of primary pupils in years 5 and 6 from local primary schools in the Ashby area. They attend after-school sessions in which they are tutored in advanced mathematics, literacy, film studies, science, art, and philosophy by gifted and talented students from Ashby School. The Ashby School's gifted and talented programme was rated three stars by the National Association for Gifted Children in 2010.[4] In November 2011 a Russian cosmonaut involved in the planning of the manned mission to Mars visited the school and gave a lecture to the 'G&T'.
Controversy
In 2016 Ashby School created controversy when it proposed to auction the medals, including a Victoria Cross, won by Lt Col. Philip Bent that was donated to the school "to inspire future pupils".[5] The VC is loaned to the Royal Leicestershire Regimental Museum (now part of Newarke Houses Museum). The proceeds from the sale were to be put "towards the building of... (a) proposed new pavilion", in order to "receive revenue from lettings".[6] In May 2016 the school was unable to prove ownership of the medals.[7] In 2018, a pavilion is set to be built following a successful funding bid to the Healthy Schools initiative.
Notable former pupils
Former pupils are known as Old Ashbeians.
- Andrew Betts (former Charlotte Hornets and Bologna Basketballer)
- Henry Dartnall, popular musician
- Dorian West (former England Hooker)
- The Young Knives
- Nathan Buck (Leicestershire County and England U19 Cricket Player)
- Tom Hopper (actor, best known for playing Sir Percival in Merlin (TV Series))
Ashby-de-la-Zouch Boys’ Grammar School
- Sir Geoffrey Arthur, Master of Pembroke College, Oxford, 1975-84
- John Bainbridge (astronomer)
- Philip Bent, VC
- Prof John Betteridge, Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism at UCL Medical School, 1994-2010[8]
- Sir John Bonser, barrister
- William Bradshaw, puritan
- Jack English, photographer
- Levi Fox, historian
- Anthony Gilby, clergyman
- Alexander Henry Green, geologist
- Leslie Hale, Baron Hale, Labour MP for Oldham from 1945 to 1950 and Oldham West from 1950 to 1968
- Joseph Hall, Bishop of Norwich
- Thomas Hemsley CBE, baritone
- Dr Barry Heywood, Director from 1994 to 1997 of the British Antarctic Survey
- Sir Joseph Hood, 1st Baronet, Conservative MP from 1918-24 for Wimbledon
- Prof Ernst Huehns, Professor of Haematology at UCL Medical School, 1975-1990
- Sir James Hunt, judge
- Reginald Jacques CBE, conductor
- David Nish, footballer, capped five times for England
- David Taylor, Labour MP from 1997-2009 for North West Leicestershire
- Bernard Vann, VC
- David Wilson CBE, chairman of Wilson Bowden (David Wilson Homes), 1987-2007
- John Lane, past president of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland and the Glasgow Institute of Architects
Ashby-de-la-Zouch Girls’ Grammar School
- Kate Bostock, clothes designer with M&S
- Averil Burgess OBE, Chairman from 1993-2000 of the Independent Schools Inspectorate, Headmistress from 1975-1993 of South Hampstead High School
- Nora David, Baroness David
- Clare Hollingworth, journalist
- Angela Piper, actress, plays Jennifer Aldridge (née Archer) in The Archers[9]
- Prof Diane Reay, Professor of Education since 2005 at the University of Cambridge[10]
References
- ^ Cross, Claire. "Hastings, Henry, third earl of Huntingdon (1536?–1595)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ^ Care and Welfare - House System/Tutor Groups/Year Tutors/Teen Health
- ^ [1][permanent dead link], 3 November 2005
- ^ "Gifted and Talented". Ashby School. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ "School under fire over plans to sell VC medal of heroic former pupil". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "Sale of Victoria Cross - a Freedom of Information request to Ashby School, Ashby-de-la-Zouch". Whatdotheyknow.com. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ Mack, Tom (1 May 2016). "No movement in Ashby School's bid to sell war hero's medals". No. Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 24 April 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Prof John Betteridge". Uclh.nhs.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "Angela Piper's Derbyshire Childhood". Derbyshirelife.co.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "Diane Reay : Faculty of Education". Educ.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2017.