Sharnbrook Academy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sharnbrook Academy |
|
|---|---|
| Address | |
|
Odell Road
Sharnbrook
,
,
MK44 1JL
England
|
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| Coordinates | 52°13′24″N 0°33′26″W / 52.22320°N 0.55720°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Academy |
| Motto | Excellence, Care and Opportunity For All |
| Established | c. 1975 |
| Local authority | Bedford Borough |
| Department for Education URN | 136470 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Chair of Governors | Roz Gray |
| Principal | Clare Raku |
| Staff | c. 300 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 1862 |
| Houses | Cygnus, Phoenix, Ursa, Pegasus, Delphinus |
| Colour(s) | Yellow and grey (formerly with emerald green) |
Sharnbrook Academy, which used to be called Sharnbrook Upper School until 2017, is a big school in the countryside. It is located in Sharnbrook, a village in Bedfordshire, England. The school was built in 1975.
Today, over 1900 students attend, with about 300 staff. It also has a big sixth form for older students. This Sixth Form was started in 1978 and has around 650 students.
Contents
Student Ages and School Years
Most students start at Sharnbrook Academy in Year 7. They are usually 11 years old when they join. Students take their GCSE exams in Year 11. This is when they are 15 or 16 years old.
After GCSEs, some students might leave. They might go to a technical college or a different Sixth Form. However, most students stay at Sharnbrook. They join the school's Sixth Form for Years 12 and 13. Students in Sixth Form are typically 16 to 18 years old. Many students from other schools also join Sharnbrook for their final two years.
School Houses and Tutoring
| House | Letter | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| Cygnus |
|
green |
| Phoenix | Template:Center:Px | red |
| Ursa | Template:Center:U | orange |
| Pegasus | Template:Center:Pe | purple |
| Delphinus | Template:Center:D | blue |
Sharnbrook Academy uses a special system called a House system. Every student belongs to one of five houses. Most staff members are also part of a house. The current houses are Cygnus, Delphinus, Pegasus, Phoenix, and Ursa.
Each house has many tutor groups. A Head of House and an Assistant Head of House lead each house. These leaders help students with their school life. From 2022, the school brought back "vertical tutoring" for Years 7-10. This means tutor groups have students from different year groups.
School Facilities
Sharnbrook Academy has many great facilities for students. These help with learning, sports, and creative activities.
- Art rooms and a gallery, with a special darkroom for photos.
- A modern AstroTurf sports pitch.
- An exciting Climbing wall.
- A dance studio for performances and classes.
- Interactive whiteboards in classrooms for modern teaching.
- A large Main Hall and a Sports Hall.
- A music centre with two recording studios.
- The Paula Radcliffe Community Sports Centre.
- Big Playing fields for outdoor sports.
- Tennis courts.
- A television studio and edit suites.
- Drama Studios for acting and theatre.
In 2010, a new science centre was finished. In 2011, the school opened a new library, called the Learning Hub. They also added new dining areas.
Broadcast Team
The Media Department at Sharnbrook Academy has a "Broadcast Team." Students can join this team. They help run the school's broadcast system. This system is used instead of traditional school assemblies. The broadcast is filmed live in a special TV studio at the school.
Special Achievements and Academy Status
Sharnbrook Academy has received several special recognitions. It is a Training School. It has also been a Partnership Promotion School and a Beacon School. The school has won Artsmark Gold and Sportsmark awards. These awards come from Arts Council England and Sport England.
The school used to be known as a specialist school for media and an Arts College. On February 1, 2011, Sharnbrook Upper School officially became an academy.
School Day Schedule
Since September 2020, the school day starts at 8:30 am. It finishes at 3:00 pm. Before this, the school day ended a bit later.
In the 2022-23 school year, "Movement Time" was added. This is a 5-minute break between some lessons. It helps students get to their next class on time.
Local Area and Trust
The school serves students from many local villages. These include Sharnbrook, Oakley, Harrold, and Thurleigh.
Sharnbrook Academy is part of the Meridian Trust. This trust includes 24 other schools. The school used to be part of the Sharnbrook Academy Federation (SAF) until 2021.
Famous Former Students
Many talented people have attended Sharnbrook Academy.
- Matt Berry, actor and comedian.
- Jack Collison, a professional footballer.
- Shaunagh Craig, an international netball player for Northern Ireland.
- Oliver Gavin, a professional racing car driver.
- Cal Henderson, a co-founder of Slack.
- Matt Jackson, a professional footballer.
- Paula Radcliffe, a famous marathon runner and world record holder.
- Giles Scott, an Olympic gold medalist in sailing.
- Alistair Strathern, a Labour Member of Parliament.
- Nick Tandy, a professional racing car driver.
- Alfie Templeman, a singer-songwriter.
