Leigh Stationers' Academy

Leigh Stationers' Academy
Address
145 Bexley Road Eltham , Greater London , SE9 2PT England
Coordinates	51°27′08″N0°04′34″E / 51.45219°N 0.07619°E / 51.45219; 0.07619
Information
Type	Academy
Motto	Aspire, Strive, Thrive Relentlessly pursuing excellence... [1]
Religious affiliation(s)	None
Established	1958;66 years ago (1958)
Trust	Leigh Academies Trust
Department for Education URN	141309 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Principal	Joseph Sparks
Gender	Coeducational
Age	11to 18
Enrolment	1,638
Houses	Ashdown Sherwood Delamere Arden
Colour(s)	Red, Blue, Purple
Website	www.scwa.org.uk

Leigh Stationers' Academy is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in the Eltham area of the Royal Borough of Greenwich in London, England. The school is built upon the land that was formerly King Henry VIII's hunting grounds (hence 'Crown Woods').

First known as Crown Woods School, the school was founded in 1958. It was reopened in new £48 million buildings designed by Nicholas Hare Architects in 2011 and was renamed Crown Woods College. In 2014 the school was renamed Stationers' Crown Woods Academy after the school gained academy status and joined the Leigh Academies Trust, the first Leigh academy outside Kent. In September 2024, the school was named Leigh Stationers' Academy.

History

At one point Crown Woods was the largest comprehensive school in London with 2600 pupils.^{[ citation needed ]}

Between 1964 and 1985 or later the school had a boarding section for 120 children, mainly of serving Forces personnel, called The Lodge. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

In 2000, Crown Woods was identified by Ofsted as a "failing school". ^[5] The school was critical of the cursory inspections Ofsted had made to come to this judgement, and challenged it in court. In a humiliating 11th-hour climbdown, Ofsted agreed to an out-of-court settlement which spared it the embarrassment of a public hearing. Ofsted was ordered to pay the school's costs - estimated to run into five figures - as well as lifting its judgment. The chief inspector Chris Woodhead retired. ^{[6] [7]}

In a £100m investment by Greenwich Council that formed part of the government's 'Building Schools for the Future' initiative, ^{[8] [9]} the school was reopened in new £48 million buildings designed by Nicholas Hare Architects and built by main contractor Balfour Beatty, ^[9] and was renamed Crown Woods College. ^[10] A sport centre was built to regional competition standards with seating for 450 spectators. ^[8] The scheme received a RIBA London Award in 2012 and was commended at the Civic Trust Awards the same year.^{[ citation needed ]}

The school also featured in the BBC series Tough Young Teachers as two trainee teachers went to the school to learn on the job.^{[ citation needed ]}

Structure

It is structured into four 'home schools', each in separate buildings. ^[10] Three of the schools are for pupils aged 11 to 16 and pupils are allocated to the schools based on ability, skills and interests.^{[ citation needed ]} The fourth school is a dedicated sixth form centre for 16- to 18-year-old students. ^[11]

Previously a community school governed by Greenwich London Borough Council, Crown Woods College converted to academy status on 1 September 2014 and was renamed Stationers' Crown Woods Academy. The school is part of the Leigh Academies Trust ^[12] and is sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers. ^[13] From September 2024, the school was named "Leigh Stationers' Academy". ^[14]

Curriculum

Stationers' Crown Woods Academy offers GCSEs, BTECs and vocational courses as programmes of study for pupils, while students in the sixth form have the option of studying from a range of A Levels as well as further BTECs, GNVQs, and other vocational courses.^{[ citation needed ]}

Headteachers

• Malcolm Ross
• Cyril Davis
• Peter Wells
• Linda Neal
• Michael Murphy ^[10]
• David Miller^{[ citation needed ]}
• Wayne Barnett
• Subreena Kazmi
• Joseph Sparks

Notable former pupils

• Sadik Balarabe, professional footballer ^[15]
• Helen Mountfield, King's Counsel and Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford ^[16]
• Michael Turner, former Sunderland and Norwich City defender ^[17]
• Eoin Ó Broin Sinn Féin politician ^[18]

References

1. "Crown Life Issue 3" (PDF). scwa.org.uk. Stationers' Crown Woods Academy. February 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
2. "The Lodge, Crown Woods School". Army Rumour Service. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
3. The Tank. 1963. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
4. Hospitality (Issues 57-74 ed.). Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management Association. 1985. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
5. Jonathan Glancey (2003). London: Bread and Circuses. Verso. pp. 70–. ISBN   978-1-85984-464-9 . Retrieved 27 July 2020.
6. Wragg, Ted (28 November 2000). "The end of an Ofsted era". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
7. Smithers, Rebecca (30 November 2000). "Ofsted climbdown over 'failing' comprehensive". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
8. Chandler, Mark (11 June 2011). "Crown Woods College completed with Building Schools for the Future money". News Shopper. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
9. "BBES uses offsite M&E prefabrication to deliver Greenwich BSF project". The Construction Index. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
10. Davis, Rowenna (25 July 2011). "School colour-codes pupils by ability". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
11. Muffett, Tim (14 January 2013). "Inside the three parts of Crown Woods College". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
12. "Stationers' Crown Woods Academy". Leigh Academies Trust. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
13. Stuart-Turner, Richard (29 September 2014). "Stationers' Company sponsors first UK digital academy". PrintWeek. MA Business Limited. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
14. "Academy Name Change Letter – Stationers' Crown Woods Academy (19 January 2024)".. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
15. "Cardinals Announce 2013 Men's Soccer Recruiting Class". Saginaw Valley State University. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
16. "Helen Mountfield QC elected as new Principal". Mansfield College. University of Oxford. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
17. "Norwich city football star Michael Turner returns to Eltham Crown Woods College". newsshopper.co.uk. 12 January 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
18. "As schoolboy, Sinn Fein's Eoin Ó Broin found himself following the Troubles in Northern Ireland and trying to work out why there was so much division". belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 26 February 2021.

External links

• Official website