The Dukeries Academy
| The Dukeries Academy | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
Whinney Lane , | |
| Coordinates | 53°12′33″N 1°00′01″W / 53.2093°N 1.0004°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Academy |
| Established | September 1964 |
| Local authority | Nottinghamshire |
| Department for Education URN | 139062 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age | 11 to 19 |
| Website | http://www.dukeries.attrust.org.uk/page/default.asp?title=Home&pid=1 |
The Dukeries Academy (formerly The Dukeries Comprehensive School and then The Dukeries College and Complex) is a secondary school, community college situated in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire.
History
[edit]It opened in September 1964, with Kirkby in Ashfield Comprehensive School, the first Nottinghamshire county comprehensive schools; Fairham Comprehensive School in Nottingham had preceded these schools. The school was dedicated to 'community provision' at a time when the village and neighbouring Edwinstowe and Bilsthorpe, who attended the school, were thriving mining communities. The school/college/academy had its 50th anniversary in 2014.
It had a residential training centre, the Ollerton Educational Institute. It had a purpose-built theatre.[1] There were 1290 children.
The first headmaster was Mr John Ireland West, who was born in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and lived in Upton, Newark and Sherwood. [2] He had sons Nicholas and Jonathan.[3]
Extensions were constructed from 1967, to increase to the school to a ten-form entry, and to add a sixth form of 90, which would cost £153,563.[4][5]
A Sub-Aqua Group was formed in January 1967.[6] In April 1969 it acquired a residential field studies centre in North Wales at Trawsfynydd, which was provided by Rexco smokeless fuels. This was opened on 4 July 1970 by Richard Marsh, Baron Marsh, former Minister of Transport.[7]
The new sixth form opened in February 1970. By 1971, there were 1800 at the school. There were too many children at the school in the early 1970s.[8]
In 1975 an arsonist set fire to the gym, needing 18 firemen.[9] In June 1975, the headteacher was awarded the CBE in the 1975 Birthday Honours. Two squash courts opened in April 1976.[10][11]
In 2009, The Dukeries was included in controversial plans to cut funding. Nottinghamshire County Council proposed to cut £380,000 of the schools budget to save money.[12] There is a current campaign underway to stop these cuts from happening.
The attached Leisure Centre (owned by NSDC) received an extension to include a new swimming pool in 2020, and the structure was built and completed in 2021. The pool was officially opened by Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Adlington.
Curriculum
[edit]It offers education for students aged 11–19. ATTFE College, the school's sixth form, also offer a range of level 2 and 3 courses, including GCSEs and BTECs.
Visits
[edit]The Dukeries has been visited by Ed Balls,[13] Sebastian Coe[14] and Gordon Brown.[15]
Balls described it as "a school of the 21st century".[citation needed] The school received a "satisfactory" grade after an OFSTED inspection.[16] The school became an academy on 1 January 2013, and was renamed The Dukeries Academy. The Dukeries offers, a theatre, horse riding, on-site counselling, a construction block (opened in 2008), an astro-turf pitch, a youth club and a fire service training centre.
Former teachers
[edit]- Barry Troyna, drama
References
[edit]- ^ Retford Times Friday 12 November 1965, page 10
- ^ Nottingham Evening Post Saturday 14 June 1975, page 7
- ^ Nottingham Evening Post Monday 22 December 1975, page 6
- ^ Nottingham Evening Post Friday 23 June 1967, page 17
- ^ Retford Times Friday 30 June 1967, page 4
- ^ Retford Times Friday 31 January 1969, page 1
- ^ Nottingham Evening Post Wednesday 24 June 1970, page 12
- ^ Retford Times Friday 7 May 1971, page 3
- ^ Nottingham Evening Post Wednesday 4 June 1975, page 4
- ^ Nottingham Evening Post Tuesday 27 April 1976, page 18
- ^ Retford Times Friday 14 May 1976, page 19
- ^ Published on Thursday 19 November 2009 17:25 (19 November 2009). "Dukeries chiefs slam county council cuts - Local - Mansfield and Ashfield Chad". Chad.co.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Government minister opens £1.6m Dukeries centre". Johnston Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- ^ [1] Archived September 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Video Gordon Brown on MP expenses at Ollerton's Dukeries College van Mansfield - Myspace Video". Vids.myspace.com. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- ^ "Find an inspection report" (PDF). Ofsted. Retrieved 2 September 2012.