Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College
| Motto | Commitment to Opportunity and Excellence |
|---|---|
| Established | 1958 |
| Type | Academy |
| Religion | None |
| Headteacher | Mr S Hughes |
| Location |
Abbs Cross Lane Hornchurch Greater London England |
| Staff | Approx 52 teaching staff |
| Students | 843 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 11–16 |
| Houses | North, South, East, West |
| Colours | Black, Red, Green, White |
| Website | Abbs Cross Academy |
Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College (once known as Abbs Cross Technical High School) is situated on Abbs Cross Lane, Hornchurch, in the London Borough of Havering, England. Abbs Cross is now an Arts College. Like most secondary schools in its area, it lacks a sixth form centre although the school has a strong link with Havering Sixth Form College in which a majority of its students go on to attend. The Academy's Headteacher is Mr S. Hughes. Abbs Cross school was opened in 1958 as a mixed Technical High School. It was enlarged in 1973.
Arts
The School has been awarded an Artsmark from the Arts Council England. Auditions are held for students who wish to enter the school as Performing Arts students. In 2006 the school produced the musical Bugsy Malone, and the year following, Grease. In 2008, school pupils performed The Wizard of Oz, and in 2009, was Oliver!. Abbs Cross Music Department has a Dance Band that played for Queen Elizabeth II at Romford Market, and Tony Blair at the Guildhall in London. It has also taken part in Heritage Concerts at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch for the Mayor of Havering and, was a Dome Performer for the Year 2000 celebrations at the Millennium Dome, Greenwich. The Dance Band have also toured throughout Europe. The school held a Jubilee Anniversary party in September 2008 (50th Anniversary). In October 2008, the schools dance company (AX Dance Company) performed at the Olympic festival in Romford, in which the Olympic torch passed through to celebrate the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games. The School also holds an Arts Week in the summer term, in which the school timetable is suspended in order for activities such trips to West End theatres and workshops to take place.
Admissions
Secondary Transfer (Year 6 to 7)[1] Where a pupil seeks admission to the School on the basis of their aptitude in Performing Arts, applicants will be invited to the School for an audition. The audition will comprise aptitude tests in one of the disciplines of music, drama or dance. This is explained in more detail on the supplementary application form. The Parents will be notified of the outcome of the audition prior to the closing date for applications. Five places will be allocated to each of the disciplines. The remaining two (taking the total to the allotted 10%) will be allocated to the next best students from any of the three disciplines. When the pupils are in the School the courses open to them will be those open to all pupils of the School, though it is expected that such pupils will continue with their extra-curricular Arts studies throughout their period at the School. If a pupil admitted under B iii) leaves the school, the Arts place may be offered to an Arts applicant held on the waiting list in the relevant year group. Where there is no suitable applicant, the place will be offered in accordance with B i), ii) or B iv).