Whitley Academy (formerly Whitley Abbey Community School) was a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Whitley, Coventry, England. The school was rebuilt and opened on 13 October 2000, replacing the former Whitley Abbey Comprehensive School built in the 1950s, which was one of the first comprehensive schools in Coventry. As of 28 January 2021, the school is permanently closed.[3]
| Whitley Academy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
Abbey Road , , CV3 4BD England | |
| Coordinates | 52°23′11″N 1°29′13″W / 52.38631°N 1.48685°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Academy |
| Motto | Facta non verba (Deeds not words) Be the best you can be |
| Established | 1950s and rebuilt 2000 |
| Local authority | Coventry City Council |
| Trust | Finham Park Multi Academy Trust |
| Department for Education URN | 148429 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Head teacher | Bernadette Pettman[1] |
| Staff | 133[2] |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 897 pupils [2] |
| Website | Official website |
In July 2007, Whitley Abbey Community School gained specialist status in Business and Enterprise and was renamed Whitley Abbey Business and Enterprise College.
On 1 July 2011 Whitley Abbey Business and Enterprise College became an Academy and was renamed to 'Whitley Academy'.[4]
The new academy was formally opened on 13 March 2012 by the Princess Royal.[4][5] It was one of the seven schools in the RSA Family of Academies, all in the West Midlands, of the Royal Society of Arts.[6] In July 2019 the governors of the school decided to leave the RSA.[7]
In January 2021 the school joined the Finham Park Multi Academy Trust and was renamed to Meadow Park School.[8][9]
Ofsted
editWhitley has been inspected by Ofsted 3 times in the last 10 years. After 9 years of being 'Outstanding', in March 2019 the school received the 'Requires Improvement' grade, with it eventually receiving the 'Inadequate' rating in January 2020, possibly having led to the school's closure a year later, with the school's reputation having been reportedly "ruined".[10]
| Ofsted Inspection results for the last 10 years | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) of Inspection | Grade |
| 12 December 2013 | Outstanding |
| 6 – 7 March 2019 | Requires Improvement |
| 8 – 9 January 2020 | Inadequate |
Whitley Arts
editThe website, 'Whitley Arts', was launched in March 2013, as an eCommerce website to sell unique pupil artwork, whilst at the same time showcasing the excellence and artistic flair of Whitley Academy pupils to a local and national audience.
The project idea of Whitley Arts was commissioned by Lorraine Allen, then Principal, after initial discussions with Centre Stage Digital, the school Art Department and the Business Manager.
The website was the first of its nature in Warwickshire, and one of only two such sites nationally, and has raised over £1,000 for pupils and the Whitley Art Faculty. Money raised from Whitley Arts and purchase of pupil art will help support the arts, the pupils and their learning.
Notable former pupils
edit- Steven Armes FRS, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Sheffield
- Peter Boddington (b. 1942), British heavyweight amateur boxing champion in 1967
- Ian Taylor (b. 1945), politician[11]
- Sir Paul Scott-Lee (b. 1953), Chief Constable of West Midlands Police[12]
- Richard Keys (b. 1957), television sports presenter[13]
- Pete Waterman (b. 1947), record producer[14]
- Andrew Lomas, intellectual property lawyer and elected Councillor for Colville ward in Kensington and Chelsea[15]
- Hitesh Thakrar, Portfolio Manager for Global Innovation Fund at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), awarded Innovation Fellowship by University of Cambridge in 2012[16]
References
edit- ^ "Whitley Academy | Meet the Staff". Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Jan 20 Ofsted Report (See page 6)".
- ^ "Ofsted | Whitley Academy". 28 January 2021. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Princess Anne visits Coventry's Whitley Academy". Coventry Telegraph. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^ "The Royal Visit". Whitley Academy. March 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^ "Our Academies". RSA Teaching School Alliance. Royal Society of Arts. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
- ^ "Letter to Parents" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
- ^ "Finham Park Multi Academy Trust".
- ^ Official website
- ^ Thompson, Danny (5 July 2022). "Coventry school in special measures considering name change as a fresh start". CoventryLive. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ "Ian Taylor: Electoral history and profile". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^ "Chief Constable Knighted". Police Oracle. 19 June 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^ "Richard Keys resigns from Sky Sports after Sian Massey sexism row". Coventry Telegraph. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^ "Bugger Coventry: Pete Waterman's amazing high speed rail line outburst". Coventry Telegraph. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^ "Andrew Lomas | One Essex Court". www.oeclaw.co.uk. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- ^ "Hitesh Thakrar – Networks of evidence and expertise for public policy". www.csap.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
