Laurel Academy

Academy in South Yorkshire, England
53°30′10″N 1°17′47″W / 53.5027°N 1.2964°W / 53.5027; -1.2964InformationTypeAcademyLocal authorityDoncasterTrustDelta Academies TrustDepartment for Education URN146639 TablesOfstedReportsHeadteacherKaty Taylor-ClarkeGenderCoeducationalAge11 to 16Websitehttps://www.laurelacademy.org.uk/

The Laurel Academy (formerly Mexborough Academy) is a coeducational secondary school located in Mexborough, South Yorkshire, England.[1]

History

The school was founded in October 1904 as Mexborough and District Secondary School. It became Mexborough Grammar School in 1931.[2]

On 7 March 1968 members of the school's sixth form took part in a 25-minute-long television programme, part of a competitive series entitled Sixth Sense, which was broadcast on BBC One at 18.40. The students investigated and aired their views on the topics of anti-German prejudice, vivisection, and Christmas cards, and their contributions were judged by Sir Jack Longland, Sir Christopher Chataway and Mary Holland.[3] Ten years earlier, a team from Mexborough Grammar had taken part in the Granada Television youth discussion programme We Want an Answer.[4]

Mexborough Grammar School merged with Mexborough County Secondary School, a secondary modern school, in 1975 and became a comprehensive school. It was known as Mexborough School, and for a period in the early 2000s as Mexborough School Specialist Science College.

Previously a community school administered by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, Mexborough School converted to academy status in January 2015 and was renamed Mexborough Academy. It continues to coordinate with Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council for admissions. The school was sponsored by the Wakefield City Academies Trust (WCAT).[5] In 2016, the school introduced a new logo, which dropped the long-standing Latin motto of Abeunt Studia in Mores (Studies Pass on into Character). Low numbers led to the school's sixth form closing in summer 2017, though it legally remains an 11–18 institution.

WCAT announced its intention to disband and give up all its schools, including Mexborough Academy, in September 2017.[6] After a lengthy delay due to the school's Private Finance Initiative contract,[7] the school was transferred to Delta Academies Trust on 1 November 2018.[8] On 1 December 2018, Delta renamed the school The Laurel Academy.[9]

Notable former pupils

Mexborough Grammar School

Former teachers

References

  1. ^ "Welcome to Mexborough Academy". mexborough.doncaster.sch.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  2. ^ Ely, Steve (2015). Ted Hughes's South Yorkshire: Made in Mexborough. London. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-137-49935-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ BBC Genome
  4. ^ Mexborough & District Heritage Society
  5. ^ "Academy partnerships". mexborough.doncaster.sch.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  6. ^ "Failing academy trust to pull out of 21 schools". The Guardian. Press Association. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  7. ^ Staufenberg, Jess (9 March 2018). "WCAT school left without sponsor over £1 million-a-year PFI contract". Schools Week. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  8. ^ Robertson, Alix (22 September 2018). "Mexborough school finally set to transfer to Delta in November". Schools Week. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  9. ^ Kessen, David (4 December 2018). "Doncaster school renamed for new era under new trust". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 23 February 2019.

External links

  • Laurel Academy official website
  • History of Mexborough Grammar School