Thorp Academy

Thorp Academy
Type Academy
Headteacher Mrs Karen Hailes (Acting)
Location Main Road
Ryton
Tyne and Wear
NE40 3AH
England Coordinates: 54°58′20″N 1°46′27″W / 54.9722°N 1.7741°W
Local authority Gateshead
DfE number 390/4001
DfE URN 141185 Tables
Ofsted Reports
Staff 112
Students ~1200
Gender Coeducational
Ages 11–18
Houses Derwent (green), Thorp (yellow), Tyne (blue), Woodside (red)
Colours Grey, Blue and Black
Website School website

Thorp Academy is a secondary school in Ryton, Tyne and Wear, England. The school teaches students who come mostly from the local Ryton and Crawcrook area, though some students residing in Greenside, Prudhoe and Winlaton also attend.

The school is named after Charles Thorp who was a rector of the parish of Ryton and, later, Archdeacon of Durham and the first warden of the University of Durham.

History

Ryton Comprehensive School was threatened with closure as part of a review of secondary education in Gateshead in 2009.[1] It was eventually decided that the school should remain open. The school's rating declined during this time from "good, with outstanding features"[2] to receiving a Notice to Improve in 2011[3] which was removed in March 2012 when the school was judged Satisfactory.[4] The school was judged to have serious deficiencies in September 2013.[4][5]

In 2003/4 the school improved some facilities thanks to a £3 million investment by Gateshead LEA and the Big Lottery Fund.[6] That development saw the construction of an additional sports hall, three new science laboratories, a purpose-built drama studio, a suite of music rooms, enhanced art and graphics areas and new modern foreign language classrooms. More recently the LA invested £2 million in a new classroom block housing Learning Support and Art/Media.

The school has a ‘Millennium Centre’ which provides facilities for independent study and a library.

In 2011 Hookergate School in High Spen was closed due to falling numbers, and merged with Ryton Comprehensive.[7] The Hookergate site remained open for the academic year 2011–12 to provide education for years 8, 9 and 11.

The school changed its name to Charles Thorp Comprehensive School[8] in September 2011. The uniform changed from a maroon blazer, blue shirt, blue striped tie and grey trousers to a blue shirt, grey jumper and black trousers.

In 2013, the school announced plans to convert to an academy. The sponsor, Northern Education Trust, was confirmed in 2014. The conversion occurred in September 2014 with the school being renamed Thorp Academy.[9]

In 2015, the school's principal, Steve Williamson, left his post with immediate effect. It was announced that Karen Hailes would fill the position until further notice.[10]

The school today

The school building will undergo further development under a central Government building scheme in 2015.

The school also enjoys long-running partnerships with local sports clubs Ryton F.C., Ryton Rugby Club and Ryton Cricket club.

The school has announced it will create a “leaner structure” from September 2015 after forecasting student numbers will fall until 2020.[11][12]

External links

References

  1. ↑ "Teachers in battle to keep Gateshead school". Retrieved January 2015.
  2. ↑ "Ryton Comprehensive School : Ofsted Report". Retrieved January 2015.
  3. ↑ "Ryton Comprehensive rated as 'inadequate'". Retrieved January 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Gateshead school told to improve after 'inadequate' rating". Retrieved January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Serious weaknesses monitoring inspection of Charles Thorp Comprehensive School". Retrieved January 2015.
  6. ↑ "Details of grants over £100,000 made during the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004" (PDF). Retrieved January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Pupils celebrate Hookergate School's closure". Retrieved January 2015.
  8. ↑ "New name for Ryton Comprehensive School" (PDF). Retrieved January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Northern Education Trust".
  10. ↑ http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/headteacher-walks-thorp-academy-ryton-8781500
  11. ↑ "Up to 30 teachers jobs to go at two Gateshead academy schools". 30 January 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  12. ↑ "Gateshead school jobs 'must go to stop closure' warns chief executive". 4 February 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.