St George's Academy

Elementary school

During most of the 19th century, schooling in England was provided either on a fee-paying basis or by the Church. To ensure that all children had access to elementary education, the Forster Act 1870 set up Local School Boards to provide elementary schools for all children aged 5 to 10. From 1880, schooling became compulsory for that age group. The Education Act 1902 consolidated these boards into local education authorities and allowed them to subsidise schools with money raised from local rate-payers. Alongside a grammar school for boys, a private school for girls and a mixed National School, Sleaford had four elementary schools in 1905: two Wesleyan (one was for infants), one Catholic and one other infants school. The construction of the Bass maltings (1901–06) and the Rauceby Asylum (1897–1902) led to an increase in the town's population and school inspectors found that the four schools could not accommodate every child in the town. The indebted Wesleyan schools could not afford any enlargements so the town's elementary school managers opted for Kesteven County Council to take responsibility under the 1902 Act. The Council built a schoolhouse on Church Lane at the cost of £11,500, which opened as Sleaford Council School on 4 May 1908. The staff and pupils at the Wesleyan schools were transferred there; its first headmaster was H. H. Godfrey, who had been master at the Wesleyan school. Built with a capacity of 600 pupils, 280 were on roll when teaching commenced.

From the outset, the school was run as an elementary school with an infants' department. In 1918, the Fisher Act raised the school leaving age to 14 and many schools subsequently split into junior and senior departments; to accommodate senior children at Sleaford Council School, the County Council proposed formally introducing separate departments, one for infants and junior pupils (those aged below 10), and another for the remaining (senior) pupils. The Board of Education approved these plans in 1922. In 1935 the County Council reorganised schooling in Sleaford so that the Council School's senior department received all the town's children in elementary education aged over 10. The Board of Education sanctioned these changes on the condition that new classrooms be added to the Council school to accommodate Senior pupils and a new Infants' department be erected at the site. Financial setbacks and delays over the purchasing of land meant that the new Infants' school was not completed until 1939.

Secondary Modern and new site

The Education Act 1944 made secondary education available to all children up to the age of 15; a 'tripartite system' of secondary schools was established to provide curricula based on aptitude and ability: grammar schools for "academic" pupils, secondary moderns for practical studies, and technical schools for science and engineering. Pupils were allocated to them depending on their score in the eleven-plus examination. The Senior department at the Sleaford Council School became its own school in March 1945 and was designated a secondary modern; the County Council announced in May 1947 that the Infants' School would close and the former Senior school would be allocated £50,000 for adaptions as part of its conversion into a secondary modern for boys. The school would use parkland at Westholme for playing fields, where a separate secondary modern for girls would be constructed and the High School rebuilt. In 1957 the Secondary Education Sub-Committee amended the plans so that a new mixed secondary modern school be built on Westholme to replace the Church Lane school, which would become a further education college. The school would be allocated over 18 acres (7.3 ha) of the parkland. By 1960, a new school building at Westholme had opened but Sleaford Secondary Modern was now split between there and the Church Lane site.

Comprehensive debate

The educational opportunities for secondary modern pupils were limited compared to those at grammar schools, prompting criticism of the selection system; grammar schools and the eleven plus were also criticised for alienating working-class families. A reluctance to improve secondary moderns or expand grammar schools under the Conservatives prompted the Labour Government to issue Circular 10/65 in 1965 which requested local education authorities convert to a comprehensive system. In 1971, Sleaford parents voted in favour of comprehensive education, but rejected the Council's proposals. New plans were unveiled in 1973: the High School and the Secondary Modern sites were to become mixed 11–16 schools and Carre's would become a sixth form college. Parents voted for the plans (1,199 to 628), albeit with a 50% turnout. The County Council approved them, but allowed governors a veto. Following negotiations with governors at Carre's, the scheme was revised in 1974 so that Carre's and the High School became 11–18 schools; the secondary modern would be closed, Westholme absorbed by the High School and the Church Lane site by Carre's.

Despite support from most staff and all three headteachers, the new Lincolnshire County Council voted to return the scheme for further consultation in January 1975, a moved the Sleaford Standard called "politically motivated". Two of the leading opponents, councillors Eric Fairchild and Reg Brealey, were governors at the secondary modern and Brealey was a former pupil. He proposed a three-school system, arguing it offered more choice: the secondary modern would be consolidated at Westholme as a single-site 11–16 school; Carre's and the High School would operate Sixth Forms. Fairchild argued that this would be more popular and cheaper. After the Government ordered the Council to submit a comprehensive proposal in 1977, it voted to submit the three-school system, which had become popular with parents and was championed by Brealey, who had become chairman of the Governors. But, the Labour Education Secretary, Shirley Williams, dismissed the proposals in 1978 on grounds that the Sixth Forms would be too small. The council then voted against the two-school system again.

St George's: rebuilding, growth and specialist status

In the 1979 general election, a Conservative government came to power and the Council shifted focus towards retaining Grammar Schools where they still existed and improving schools where work had been put on hold during the comprehensive debate; despite 90% of English councils adopting comprehensive education, Lincolnshire had resisted. In 1979, the schools sub-committee recommended that the Westholme site be rebuilt. By December, the Council had approved the consolidation of the school at Westholme, but the catchment area was decreased to protect the smaller schools at Billingborough and Billinghay, causing controversy amongst parents in affected areas and governors at the school. A new building was constructed at Westholme between 1981 and 1983, allowing the Church Lane site to close in 1983−84. Reg Brealey donated £250,000 in 1982 towards the establishment of a languages centre, which opened in 1985. To commemorate the new buildings and the end of the dual-site format, the Board of Governors voted to adopt a new name: St George's School, which came into effect from September 1984. A new badge, to be worn on pupil's blazers, was designed by pupil Stephen Robinson: it featured a gold sword atop a red dragon on a blue shield, bordered with gold, all above a scroll with the motto Loyalty.

On New Years Day 1991, St George's became grant-maintained; later that year, it announced plans to convert to a comprehensive school; the status was granted the following February. In 1992, it was awarded Technology School status, which was accompanied by a Government grant of £500,000 and a gift of £250,000 made by Reg Brealey; these contributed to the construction of a Science and Technology building, which opened in 1994. Sponsored by Brealey, St George's was one of the first schools designated a Technology College (a specialist school) in England in February 1994, a status renewed in 1997. More extensions followed: an English building in 1994, a library with art and physics classrooms in 1997, a sports hall in 2001, and a science building in 2005. In 2000, the Technology College status was renewed for the second time and the school received the Schools Curriculum and Sportsmark awards and was recognised as the 10th most improved specialist school in the country. After the abolition of grant-maintained status in 1998, St George's converted to a Foundation School.

Federation, merger and conversion to an Academy

In 2002, Ofsted recommended that Lincolnshire County Council review schools with under 600 pupils. Two years later, the Council's education officers suggested that some of these schools merge, close or federate to make them more economical. One such school was Lafford High in Billinghay, which had been under-performing in GCSE and A-level league tables. St George's became federated with Lafford and another small village school, Aveland High in Billingborough in 2005 and 2006 respectively. A plan to merge them into an Academy was announced the following year; Coteland's School in Ruskington was allowed to opt-in. When David Veal retired as headteacher of Coteland's in 2007, the school joined the federation; with that, Paul Watson became executive head of all four schools. Despite improvements, the village schools were performing below the national average and Aveland was one of the lowest performing schools academically in Lincolnshire. The County Council began consulting parents in 2008 about closing Lafford due to falling numbers. Despite denials from Watson, parents complained that he had lost "passion" for the school and that St George's "cherry-picked" the most able pupils. After a heated meeting with them in 2008, Watson resigned as Principal at Lafford and the school closed in 2010.

The first Academy plans outlined a £24 million grant for rebuilding Aveland and refurbishing Lafford. Despite a delay in 2008, the scheme was revived the following year: the three remaining schools would merge and up to £40 million of funds were being considered to pay for the redevelopment of each site. The chairman of the governors, Graham Arnold, pledged to raise £2 million towards the scheme. A feasibility report indicated that Aveland was not sustainable due to falling enrolment and would have to close; instead the remaining two sites would be redeveloped with £20 million of Government funding. The scheme was approved and, on 4 January 2010, St George's combined with Coteland's and Aveland to become St George's Academy. As planned, September 2012 saw the Billingborough site close and the remaining pupils transfer to the other sites. The oldest part of the Sleaford site was demolished and main building and sixth form centre constructed in its place, while new science and IT buildings were added and a new IT system rolled out; the original post-war buildings at the Ruskington site were pulled down and a new school built.

School structure

St George's Academy is a state-run comprehensive secondary school and Sixth Form serving pupils aged between 11 and 18. It converted to an Academy on 4 January 2010 and is run by St George's Academy Trust and sponsored by the University of Lincoln, Lincolnshire County Council and Graham Arnold, who is the main sponsor. The school operates across two sites: one at Westholme, Sleaford, and the other in Ruskington, which approximately 350 pupils attend. The school is co-educational and has a maximum capacity of 2,500 pupils; as of January 2014, there are 2,220 pupils on roll: 1,175 boys and 1,045 girls. 11.2% of these pupils receive free school meals.

St George's can admit up to 380 pupils annually. Upon admission, pupils are allocated a mixed ability form, where they are registered, taught Life Skills and have access to pastoral support from their tutors. For all the other lessons, the pupils are set by ability. Each year group has a progress manager with responsibility for the students in that year. Since the Education Act 2002, years 7, 8 and 9 have been grouped into Key Stage 3 and years 10 and 11 into Key Stage 4, which co-ordinates how the National Curriculum is taught. At St George's, a manager is assigned to each Key Stage for pastoral support. Before the conversion to Academy status, the school uniform consisted of a navy-blue blazer with the school emblem sewn on, a white shirt, navy-blue tie and dark-grey trousers (girls could wear plain-blue skirts) for all pupils in years 7–10; year 11 pupils could wear a dark-blue jumper, shirt and grey trousers. Since 2010, girls no longer wear ties, and must wear a revere collar blouse. Dark-grey trousers or a pleated dark-grey skirt are available for girls to wear; boys have dark-grey trousers. All pupils wear a blue blazer, but those in Key Stage 3 have bright blue piping on their lapels; shirts are white until Year 11, when thin blue stripes are worn.

There is capacity for 450 pupils in the Sixth Form, including up to 50 people from outside the Academy. Along with Carre's Grammar School, St George's is part of the Sleaford Joint Sixth Form, which was founded in 1983 and included Kesteven and Sleaford High School until it withdrew in 2010. It provides a common timetable across both sites and allows for pupils to choose from A-Level options offered at both schools. Pupils may apply to be based at either school, where their pastoral and tutorial activities take place. Pupils are required meet minimum grade requirements for their subject choices and may have interviews to revise offers where appropriate. The Sixth Form has been based in the Arnold Centre since 2012. Sixth Formers are not required to wear school uniform, but must wear business-like attire, namely a lounge suit for boys, including a tie, and a business suit for girls, with either full-length trousers, or a knee-length skirt or dress.

Key Stages 3 and 4

As of 2014, the school follows the National Curriculum in Years 7–11 and offers a range of GCSEs (national exams taken by pupils aged 14–16) and A-Levels (national exams taken by pupils aged 16–18). The school has no affiliation with a particular religious denomination, but religious education is given throughout the school, and pupils may opt to take the subject as part of their GCSE course. Although morning assemblies take place and are Christian in nature, they are non-denominational; in some cases, local clergy attend as guest speakers. Pupils participate in a number of educational visits throughout their school career and Year 10 pupils are offered the opportunity to participate in a work experience programme, which usually lasts for two weeks.

For Key Stage 3 pupils, the curriculum comprises English, mathematics, science, technology, a modern foreign language, art, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), geography, history, religious education (RE), physical education (PE), and a life skills programme, incorporating citizenship, sex and relationships education and personal and social education. The school offers French, Spanish and German as foreign languages and, in Year 8, pupils take a second language to supplement the one studied in Year 7. The use of ICT is central to all teaching and is taught as a subject in Key Stage 3.

In Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11), pupils study a core curriculum comprising English, mathematics, science, PE, RE and citizenship. They are required to take GCSEs in English, mathematics and science, alongside two option blocks, plus either a modern foreign language or a vocational course. English Language is taught in Year 10 and Literature the following year. Mathematics in taken by all pupils; they may opt-in for a GCSE in Statistics in Year 10, and the most able pupils may take Further Maths at GCSE in Year 11. Science courses are based on ability; pupils may study for three separate science qualifications, a dual or single award in Science or BTEC Applied Science. pupils may choose a modern foreign language (French, Spanish or German), a humanity (history or geography), computing or separate sciences (biology, chemistry and physics) for their options as part of the English Baccalaureate. Additionally, the school offers six technology courses at GCSE (electronics, food technology, graphics, product design, resistant materials and textiles), as well as art and design, drama, music, PE, RE and child development GCSE qualifications. Vocational courses are also offered at Level 2, including applied business, construction, engineering, health and social care, ICT, music, performing arts, and travel and tourism. Pupils also participate in work-related learning.

Sixth Form

The majority of pupils take four A-levels subjects in Year 12, with most choosing to focus on three in Year 13. The Joint Sixth Form allows pupils to choose from 63 vocational or academic subjects including: art and photography (separate A-Level or BTEC options), applied Science, biology, bricklaying, business (A-Level or BTEC), childcare, carpentry, chemistry, computing or ICT (A-Level or BTEC), drama or performing arts (A-Level or BTEC), electronics, engineering, English (language and/or literature), film or media studies, French, German, geography, government and politics, health and social care, history, hospitality and catering, law, mathematics and further mathematics, music (A-Level or BTEC), philosophy and ethics, psychology, physical education or sport (A-Level or BTEC), physics, product design, public services, light vehicle maintenance, Spanish, sociology, travel and tourism, and work skills.

Examinations

In 2013, 88% of pupils achieved five GCSEs at grade A*–C and 51% achieved that including English and Maths, the thirty-fourth highest percentage in the county (out of ninety-six). Figures for the 2010/11 cohort show that 84% of pupils continue in education after leaving Year 11, with 45% carrying on to Sixth Form, 33% going into Further Education and 6% participating in an apprenticeship programme. In 2013, 50% of pupils achieved at least three A-Levels at grades A*–E and 4% achieved at least three A-Levels at a minimum of AAB grades including at least two "facilitating subjects"; the average point score per pupil was 660.4 and the average grade per entry was a D+.

Extracurricular activities

School clubs and societies include singing and drama clubs, chess club, sports clubs, film club and computer games club. A student council system is in place which acts as a forum between pupils and staff; elected representatives of each year group attend fortnightly, pupil-run meetings to discuss school policies with staff. On the Ruskington site, a pupil-run Interact Club, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sleaford and Kesteven, coordinates charitable and community work in the school. The school newspaper club produces an annual newsletter and the school takes part in the BBC School Report day. Badminton, association football, volleyball, trampolining and gymnastics clubs are run every week at the Academy. The physical education department runs Inter-House sports competitions and co-ordinates school rugby, association football, basketball, boccia and netball teams. The music department hosts a junior and senior choir, swing band, Woodwind ensemble, Samba group and Vocal groups; the music rehearsal rooms can be booked for band practice. Pupils can audition for parts in the school's annual musical production and summer cabaret. For a fee, pupils may take up music lessons taught by tutors at the school. The school has supported music students in local and regional music festivals.

Church Lane, Sleaford (1908–1984)

The site at Church Lane was acquired at a cost of £900 in c. 1908; it was undeveloped when the previous Ordnance Survey map was completed in 1905. The schoolhouse was constructed to the plans of Mr Dunne of Lincoln by the contractors Messrs Wright and Son, also of Lincoln, who secured the contract for £7,442. The school building had entrances for girls and boys, who were taught separately in six classrooms; the assembly hall was 62 by 28 feet (18.9 by 8.5 m) with a domed ceiling. An infants' department consisted of three classrooms, while a workshop and kitchen were housed in separate buildings.

When teaching was transferred to the Westholme site in 1984, the original schoolhouse was demolished. The Infants' School buildings survived until the early 2000s, when they were also torn down to make way for the new buildings of its successor, Church Lane Primary School.

Westholme, Sleaford (1957–present)

Westholme House was designed by Charles Kirk the younger and built by his firm Kirk and Parry in c. 1849. The Gothic stone mansion, off Westgate, is situated in grounds spanning 32 acres (13 ha) (as of 2011). The Victorian buildings also include stables, which Sir Nikolaus Pevsner called "charming", and two Tudor-style lodges. Initially occupied by Kirk's business partner Thomas Parry, the businessman and Liberal politician Samuel Pattinson lived at the house from at least 1924 until his death in 1942. His wife, Betsy Sharpley Pattinson, died the same year and their trustees auctioned off the furniture at Westholme in 1944. During the Second World War, the grounds were occupied by the War Department, but by 1945 Kesteven County Council had acquired the land and planned to use it for educational purposes. In 1957, the Council proposed a new mixed secondary modern school building on the site and, by 1960, the new building housed Sleaford Secondary Modern, which operated there and at the Church Lane premises.

A new building at Westholme was constructed from 1981 to 1983 at the cost of £1 million. It included a gymnasium, changing facilities, and music, technology and domestic science classrooms. A civic centre opened in the main building with conference rooms and a bar which could be hired out. Run by a committee of Town Councillors, school governors and the headmaster, the centre could also let out the school hall and gymnasium to the public. A languages centre, partially funded by Reg Brealey, opened in 1985. Fitted with a satellite dish that could pick up signals from Russia, the centre housed a computer laboratory and classrooms; a local reporter described it as "probably the most advanced in the country" at the time its designs were released to the public. In 1994, science, technology and English buildings opened followed by a library and art centre in 1997. A second sports hall was completed in 2001 and extended in 2003 to include ICT classrooms; science and construction buildings were completed in 2005, a childcare centre in 2008 and an art building in c. 2009.

The school's conversion to an Academy included a £20 million grant, which funded renovations around the site and the construction of two new buildings: a science and IT building, and the Arnold Centre, which opened in 2012 and included a new hall, Sixth Form centre, library, drama studio and classrooms. In 2016, the Board of Governors announced plans for the construction of a swimming pool and fitness suite at a cost of £3.7 million to be paid for using the Academy's 'capital reserves'. At the time of announcement, it was hoped the buildings would be open in or before 2018.

Billingborough (2010–2012)

The Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, the Earl of Ancaster, opened Billingborough County Secondary Modern School in 1963. On 11 acres (4.5 ha) of playing ground, including tennis courts, the steel-framed building was constructed by Messrs. Fosters of Grantham under the supervision of J. W. H. Barnes, county architect. It housed an assembly hall and dining space, gymnasium and three-storeys of classrooms alongside workshops for practical subjects. Following the closure of the Billingborough site, the buildings were demolished in 2014.

Ruskington (2010–present)

In 1947, Kesteven County Council outlined its 15-year plan for secondary education, which included the construction of a new secondary modern school at Ruskington. The buildings were completed in the 1950s and teaching commenced at Ruskington Secondary Modern School in 1956; the buildings were officially opened by Sir John Wolfenden, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, the following year. Built on a 9-acre (3.6 ha) site at a cost of £100,658, the new school buildings consisted of a three-storeys of classrooms and a gymnasium, assembly/dining hall, library and greenhouse. The buildings were built around a prefabricated steel frame and modular concrete blocks clad in brick. Much of the site was devoted to playing fields, which were supplemented by eight grass tennis courts and playground.

These buildings were demolished in 2012 and work began on a new school as part of the Academy development plans. A hall and classrooms were completed in January 2015 as the first phase of the rebuilding; work on the second phase, which is planned to include vocational classrooms and a technology suite, began two months later and was scheduled for completion in September 2015. With the second phase complete, the new campus buildings were officially opened on 6 November 2015.

Headteachers

The first headmaster at Sleaford Council School was H. H. Godfrey, who had been schoolmaster at the Weslyan school on Westgate since the 1890s. His successor at the Senior department, A. R. N. Rooksby, had taught in Grantham, a background not dissimilar to the third headmaster, F. A. Speechley. Appointed in 1973, John Hodgson was the first university-educated headteacher of the school. All four remained in the role for at least twenty years, with Hodgson being the longest serving at 25 years. Upon retirement, he was succeeded by Paul Watson, who had served at two Lincolnshire schools before his appointment; he formally used the title "principal" instead of headteacher. He was at St George's for 15 years until he retired and gave way to Wayne Birks, in 2014.