Consett Academy is a secondary academy school in Consett, the result of a merger between Consett Community Sports College and Moorside Community Technology College.[1]

Consett Academy
Address
Map
Ashdale Road

, ,
DH8 6LZ

Coordinates54°50′28″N 1°52′08″W / 54.8412°N 1.869°W / 54.8412; -1.869
Information
TypeAcademy[1]
MottoInclusion Progression Excellence
EstablishedJanuary 2012[1]
Local authorityDurham
Department for Education URN137638 Tables
OfstedReports
Executive Principal[2][3]
GenderCo-educational[2]
Age11 to 18[2]
Enrolment1233[2]
Websitehttp://www.consett-academy.org.uk

History

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Consett Community Sports College

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Consett Community Sports College was in the Blackhill area of Consett.[4] The site had originally been Consett Grammar School.[5] At the time of closure Consett Community Sports College had a capacity of 985.[4] The last head was Christine Parker.[4] In 2006 it had 750 pupils.[6]

The school had been previously known as Blackfyne Comprehensive School.[7] In 1970 Blackfyne had 650 pupils and was described as a "Mixed Grammar Technical type".[8]

Moorside Community Technology College

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Moorside Community Technology College was in the Moorside area of Consett.[9] It was opened in 1959 as Moorside Secondary Modern School; the head at that time was W. Ellison.[9][10] At the time of closure the school's capacity was 600.[9] Based on the 2007 GCSE results, it was categorised as a failing school.[11] The following year its GCSE results made it the second most improved school in the country.[12]

Consett Academy

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The academy was originally planned to be funded under Building Schools for the Future (BSF), but plans were delayed with the cancellation of BSF.[13] In 2010 an Early Day motion called on the government to "release the funding for the much-wanted and prepared-for academy school for the area, putting an end to the anxious wait of all concerned".[14]

The school was sponsored as an academy by New College Durham and Durham County Council.[15] New College Durham is also the academy sponsor for North Durham Academy.[16]

Consett Academy opened in January 2012, initially across the two sites of its predecessor schools.[17] In September 2015 the school moved to purpose-built buildings on Consett's former football ground, co-located with a new city leisure centre.[18]

Academic results

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In 2010, 57% of Year 11 pupils at Consett Community Sports College and 63% of those at Moorside Community College attained five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C including English and mathematics.[14]

In 2017, 24% of Year 11 pupils attained Grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs, compared to the Durham local authority average of 35% and the national average of 40%.[2]

The average A level points score for sixth-form pupils in 2017 was 32, in line with the local authority and national averages.[2] The percentage of Consett Academy sixth-formers going on to university in 2017 was 79%, compared to 50% in the local authority and 51% nationally.[2]

Ofsted judgements

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At the closure of the preceding schools, Consett Community Sports College had been judged Satisfactory and Moorside Community Technology College had been judged Good.[1]

Blackfyne Community School, the predecessor of Consett Community Sports College, had last been inspected in 2004 and judged Good.[19]

Consett Academy was first inspected in 2013 and judged to Require Improvement.[1] It was inspected again in 2016 and judged Good.[20]

School uniform

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There was controversy in 2016 about the school's decision temporarily to exclude pupils for not wearing the correct uniform.[21] Despite this, the school's policies have not changed as of 2024.

Notable pupils and staff

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Consett Grammar School

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Blackfyne Comprehensive School

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Consett Community Sports College

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Petts, Clive (2013). "Consett Academy". Ofsted. Ofsted. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Consett Academy". Find and compare schools in germany. Gov.UK. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Consett Academy Teaching and Learning Structure Chart" (PDF). Consett Academy. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Consett Community Sports College". Get information about schools. Gov.UK. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  5. ^ "Memorial Details". North East War Memorials Project. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Surname headache for school staff". BBC. 22 November 2006. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  7. ^ Kearney, Tony (23 June 2016). "Demolition of school in Consett underway". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  8. ^ Parker, Ian (1970). "Development of a Vocational Guidance Unit at Blackfyne Secondary School, Consett, Co. Durham, 1964 –1969". The Vocational Aspect of Education. 22 (52): 91–101. doi:10.1080/03057877080000161.
  9. ^ a b c "Moorside Community Technology College". Get information about schools. Gov.UK. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Memories of a Consett school after 50 years". Chronicle Live. 29 December 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  11. ^ "Full list of failing schools". The Telegraph. 11 June 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  12. ^ "School league tables: Most improved schools 2007-08". The Guardian. 15 January 2009. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  13. ^ ""Handful" of NE schools will be ready to reopen as academies". The Daily Echo. 19 July 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  14. ^ a b Glass, Pat (4 November 2010). "EDUCATION IN CONSETT, NORTH WEST DURHAM: Early day motion 959". Parliament.UK. Parliament.UK. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  15. ^ "County Durham's Consett Academy sponsor announced". BBC. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  16. ^ "Consett Academy". Find and compare schools in England. Gov.UK. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  17. ^ "Controversial Consett Academy officially opened". The Journal. 6 January 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  18. ^ Broad, Stephanie (16 December 2015). "Consett Academy campus provides new vision for education". Academy Today. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  19. ^ Westwood, Ray (2004). "INSPECTION REPORT: BLACKFYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOL" (PDF). Ofsted. Ofsted. Retrieved 3 September 2018.[permanent dead link]
  20. ^ Paddick, John (2016). "Consett Academy" (PDF). Ofsted. Ofsted. Retrieved 3 September 2018.[permanent dead link]
  21. ^ Havery, Gavin (20 February 2018). "Consett Academy pupils sent home for 'showing too much ankle' in uniform row". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  22. ^ Conroy, Brian (11 June 2006). "Dennis Earl". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  23. ^ "Bishop of Lincoln to be introduced to House of Lords". Market Rasen Journal. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  24. ^ "Consett artist Sheila Mackie is honoured in her home town". The Journal. 19 December 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  25. ^ "Weird and wonderful life of a much-missed artist". The Journal. 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  26. ^ Davies, Gareth A (23 July 2013). "Paul Collingwood: I knew cricket was the right choice for me". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  27. ^ O'Donovan, Gerard (20 May 2009). "The One to Watch: Thursday 21 May". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  28. ^ Walsh, John (24 May 2009). "Playing the Part, BBC1". The Independent. Retrieved 3 September 2018.