Francis Combe Academy

Francis Combe Academy
Motto "Transforming Lives Through Learning"
Established 2009
Type academy
Principal Debbie Warwick
Location Horseshoe Lane
Garston
Hertfordshire
WD25 7HW
England England Coordinates: 51°41′52″N 0°23′32″W / 51.6977°N 0.3922°W
Local authority Hertfordshire
DfE URN 135876 Tables
Ofsted Reports
Students 1050
Gender Mixed
Ages 11–18
Houses Rowling, Brunel, Curie and Turing
Colours Orange      Black     
Sponsors

West Herts College

University of Hertfordshire
Website www.franciscombeacademy.org.uk

Francis Combe Academy is an academy in Garston, on the northern outskirts of Watford, Hertfordshire, UK.[1] The academy opened on 1 September 2009, replacing Francis Combe School and Community College. It is co-sponsored by West Herts College and the University of Hertfordshire.

History

The school opened in 1954 as Francis Combe School, a secondary modern school. It was named after Francis Combe (or Combes), a Hemel Hempstead landowner who founded a charity school in Watford in 1651, with a bequest of £10 per annum.[2][3] It became the first comprehensive in Watford in 1966.[4] Its intake is well below national averages in attainment and parental income, and it has had some of the lowest results in the county for several years. However results and attendance have improved significantly since 2006. [5]

In February 2008, the school was given permission to explore becoming an academy, sponsored by West Herts College and the University of Hertfordshire. The academy opened in September 2009, specialising in English, art and media.[6][7] In 2011 the four old houses, Esher, Matisse, Kandinsky, and Picasso where replaced by Brunel, Turing, Curie, and Rowling.

In June 2012 Ofsted visited the academy and judged the academy as satisfactory. Inspectors said "The Academy has improved significantly in the last 12 months and attainment is rising." Inspectors also commented on how "Overall achievement has improved significantly since the academy opened." GCSE results for the academy have risen year-on-year since the academy's establishment in 2009. In August 2012 53% of students gained 5 A*-C GCSEs in their GCSEs. In September 2012 the academy moved into their £25 million new building.

Facilities

All of the academy's buildings were rebuilt in 2012 except for the English and Humanities block which was built in 2001.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Francis Combe School and Community College". Hertfordshire County Council. Archived from the original on 2006-09-11. Retrieved 2006-08-20.
  2. ↑ Samuel Lewis (ed.) (1848). "Watford (St. Mary)". A Topographical Dictionary of England (7th edition ed.). p. 486. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
  3. ↑ William Page (ed.) (1908). "Hemel Hempstead". A History of the County of Hertford: volume 2. Victoria County History. pp. 215–230. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  4. ↑ "About the School". Francis Combe School and Community College. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  5. ↑ "Francis Combe School and Community College". Office for Standards in Education. February 2007.
  6. ↑ "Francis Combe succeeds in their bid to become an academy". Francis Combe School and Community College. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  7. ↑ "Academy programme to be further accelerated with lower set up costs as part of a new 'National Challenge' programme" (Press release). Department for Children, Schools and Families. 2008-02-29. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  8. ↑ "The Rebuild". Francis Combe Academy. Retrieved 2011-01-28.

External links