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North Leamington School (NLS) is a mixed, non-selective, comprehensive school for students aged 11 to 18 years located at the northeastern edge of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It is rated as a good school by Ofsted, [1] and has 6.7% of children eligible for free school meals. [2] Mike Lowdell is the current headteacher.
North Leamington is a mixed 11 to 18 comprehensive school, an academy since November 2016. It has an enrolment of around 1300, and maximum capacity of 1500 students: 240 for each year group from Years 7 to 11, and 150 for each of Years 12 and 13. Admission to Year 7 (transition from Year 6) is by application to Warwickshire County Council Admissions service. Entry after term one of Year 7 is by application direct to the school. [3] As of September 2020, it is oversubscribed. [4]
In 2019, NLS recorded an above average Progress 8 score of 0.46, with 53% achieving grade 5 or above in GCSE maths and English (compared to 43% average in England), [5] and 76 per cent of students achieving grade 4 or above. [6] At A level, NLS has an above average progress score of 0.32. [7] 60 per cent of pupils were awarded A* to B grades. [8]
North Leamington School was created in 1977 by Warwickshire County Council, with the merger of three schools for 11-16 year olds: Blackdown High School (Park Road site), Leamington College for Girls, a girls grammar school (Cloister Way site) and Leamington College for Boys (Binswood Hall site) on Binswood Avenue. The Cloister Way site became the Lower School for Years 7, 8 and 9, while the Park Road site became the Upper School for Years 10 & 11. The Binswood Hall site became a separate sixth form centre. In 1994 the sixth form fully merged with North Leamington (becoming Years 12 & 13). This resulted in some operational challenges for staff, with teachers having to move between the sites located approximately a mile apart. [9]
NLS was granted specialist school status as a Performing Arts College in 1999, thanks to sponsorship by EMI Music Sound Foundation (now Universal Music UK Sound Foundation) [10] and retained this status until 2008. It was the first Arts College school in Warwickshire.
For September 2009, a new school complex was built on the former site of Manor Hall teacher training and conference centre. [11] The new site on Sandy Lane, just off the B4113 road in the parish of Blackdown, [12] was designed by Robothams Architecture, an architectural firm based in Warwick. The new buildings have a BREEAM 'excellent' rating, and have been given awards by RICS, the Leamington Society, and The Society for Construction and Architecture in Local Authorities. [13] The Humanities Faculty building features a prominent sculpture by Walter Ritchie; Three Aspects of a Girl's Education was commissioned for the old Leamington College for Girls site by Warwickshire Education Committee in 1961, and features figures of Boudica, Florence Nightingale and Marie Curie. [14]
NLS became an academy on 1 November 2016. [15]
The current headteacher of NLS is Mike Lowdell (from 2021). [16] Predecessors include Joy Mitchell (2011-2020), [17] David Hazeldine (-2011), [18] and C.R. Thackery. [19]
Binswood Hall is a Grade II* listed building [20] in the Tudor revival style, with later additions and alterations including a chapel built in 1867 and gymnasium dating from 1893. Having started as a Girls' Convent School it became Leamington College for Boys, a Boys Grammar School, in 1848. It has now been redeveloped by Audley Retirement as a retirement village of 114 leasehold properties, with a health club and Whittles Restaurant.
The old Park Road site was demolished and used for private housing (with the creation of two new streets, Sir Frank Whittle Gardens and Canberra Mews). The Cloister Way site remained derelict for several years, and was damaged by fire on 20 September 2016. [21] It has since been demolished and is under redevelopment for private housing.
Students in years 7-11 are put into one of five colleges: Binswood, Blackdown, Croft, Manor, or Park. Each college has its own leader who is responsible for the pastoral and academic support within their college. Siblings are normally allocated within the same college. [22] From the 2021-22 academic year, NLS has horizontal tutor groups, each made up from students within the same year. This follows 12 years of vertical tutoring (VT). [23] [24]
The Central Hub building of NLS has a main hall with sprung floor, 315 retractable seats, and lighting, audio and AV equipment for use as a theatre. There is a dining hall with mezzanine floor for extra seating. The Central Hub also holds the school administration, library, sixth form, and performing arts teaching spaces. These include dance and drama studios, a 62 seat lecture theatre, and music practice rooms.
The Physical Education building contains a gymnasium and a sports hall, both with sprung floors, plus changing rooms and access to outdoor spaces, including an all-weather pitch (with floodlights), grass pitches, and a hard-floored, multi-use games area (MUGA). [25]
There are three academic buildings for teaching, all linked by bridges: [26]
In 2002 the school won Arts Council England's 'Artsmark Gold' award and also gained 'Sportsmark' status from Sport England in 2004. Due to vast improvement in exam results between 2000 and 2003, NLS received a "School Achievement Award" from the government and in addition, the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Council elected NLS to its 'Most Improved Schools Club'. [27]
Kenilworth is a market town and civil parish in the Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, 6 miles (10 km) south-west of Coventry and 5 miles (8 km) north of Warwick. The town lies on Finham Brook, a tributary of the River Sowe, which joins the River Avon 2 miles (3 km) north-east of the town. At the 2021 Census, the population was 22,538. The town is home to the ruins of Kenilworth Castle and Kenilworth Abbey.
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or simply Leamington, is a spa town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. Originally a small village called Leamington Priors, it grew into a spa town in the 18th century following the popularisation of its water which was reputed to have medicinal qualities. In the 19th century, the town experienced one of the most rapid expansions in England. It is named after the River Leam, which flows through the town.
Southam is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district of Warwickshire, England. Southam is situated on the River Stowe, which flows from Napton-on-the-Hill and joins Warwickshire's River Itchen at Stoneythorpe, just outside the town. In the 2021 census, the population of Southam was 8,114.
Warwick is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is 9 miles (14 km) south of Coventry, and 19 miles (31 km) south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whitnash.
The West Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of International Territorial Level for statistical purposes. It covers the western half of the area known traditionally as the Midlands. The region consists of the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire. The region has seven cities: Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton and Worcester.
Warwickshire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire to the south, and Worcestershire and the West Midlands county to the west. The largest settlement is Nuneaton and the county town is Warwick.
Warwick is a local government district in Warwickshire, England. It is named after the historic county town of Warwick, which is the district's second largest town; the largest town is Royal Leamington Spa, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of Kenilworth and Whitnash and surrounding villages and rural areas. Leamington Spa, Warwick and Whitnash form a conurbation which has about two thirds of the district's population.
Whitnash is a town and civil parish located southeast of, and contiguous with Leamington Spa and Warwick in Warwickshire, England. In 2001, it had a population of 7,760 which increased to 9,129 in the 2011 census, increasing again to 10,489 in the 2021 census.
Leek Wootton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Leek Wootton and Guy's Cliffe, in the Warwick district, in the county of Warwickshire, England, approximately 2 miles south of Kenilworth and 2.5 miles north of Warwick. It lies in the triangle created by Kenilworth, Warwick and Leamington Spa. In 1961 the parish had a population of 671.
Leamington Spa railway station serves the town of Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire, England. It is situated on Old Warwick Road towards the southern edge of the town centre. It is a major stop on the Chiltern Main Line between London and Birmingham, and is the southern terminus of a branch line to Coventry.
Lillington is a suburb of Leamington Spa, in the civil parish of Royal Leamington Spa, in the Warwick District in the county of Warwickshire, England. Historically a village which existed before the time of the Domesday Book (1086), it was incorporated into the borough of Leamington in 1890. Lillington is a ward of Warwick District Council and Royal Leamington Spa Town Council.
Trinity Catholic School is a mixed Catholic secondary school and sixth form located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England.
Blackdown is a hamlet and civil parish in the Warwick district of Warwickshire, England. Blackdown is about two miles north of Leamington Spa, between Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth. It is named Blakedon in William Dudgale's Antiquities of Warwickshire in 1656 as a district within the parish of Lillington, and as having a mill on the River Avon. Blackdown Mill on Wooton Road is Grade II listed. According to the 2001 Census it had a population of 128. From the 2011 Census population details are included with Old Milverton. Blackdown Manor is a Grade II listed house on Kenilworth Road: built in the 17th century, it was remodelled in the 19th century. Just outside the village is Quarry Park Disc Golf Club which is one of only 17 courses in the United Kingdom, and was the venue for the 2008 UK championships as well as being due to host the 2009 championships. Old Leamingtonians, the town's rugby union and Leamington Royals also play home games on the edge of the village.
Budbrooke is a village and civil parish in the Warwick district of Warwickshire, England. It is 3 miles west of Warwick and according to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 2,319, reducing to 1,863 at the 2011 Census. Most of the population of Budbrooke live in Hampton Magna, a housing estate built in the late 1960s, with other smaller settlements in Budbrooke Village and Hampton on the Hill.
Cubbington is a village and civil parish with a population of 3,929, adjoining the north-eastern outskirts of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, approximately 3 miles from the town centre. Welsh Road, running through the village crossroads, was an old sheep drovers' route connecting London and Wales. Since the 1950s when the village expanded there have been two parts to the village: Cubbington proper which was the old village core, and New Cubbington which is to the west, although both are referred to as Cubbington. Topographically the highest point of the village sits about 100 metres (330 ft) above sea level while its lowest is about 60 metres (200 ft). For many years the electorate for Cubbington was represented in government by the MP for Warwick and Leamington but for the 2010 UK Elections it moved to the new Kenilworth & Southam constituency.
Haseley is a small village and former civil parish in Warwickshire, England. It is four miles north-west of the county town of Warwick and nine miles (14.5 km) south-east of Solihull, now in the parish of Beausale, Haseley, Honiley and Wroxall, created on 1 April 2007. The village is on the A4177 and, as it is only five miles (8 km) from the M40 motorway, is easily accessible. Haseley proper, along with Haseley Knob, Haseley Green and Waste Green, consists mainly of detached houses spread over a large area, giving the parish a very low housing density. The 2001 census recorded 207 residents living in 92 dwellings. Due to its relative affluence and proximity to the tourist towns of Warwick and Stratford upon Avon, several large and highly rated hotels are situated around the village.
The Royal Pump Rooms is a cultural centre on the Parade in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England. It was the most famous of several spa baths opened in Leamington between the late-18th and mid-19th centuries. People would travel from throughout the country, and indeed Europe, to benefit from treatments using the town's healing waters. When 'taking the waters' became less fashionable after the mid-19th century the Pump Rooms became Leamington's only surviving spa facility, later also being extended to include the town's public swimming pool. After a major redevelopment in 1997-99 the building now houses Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, a public library, a Tourist Information Centre, cafe and assembly rooms. It is a Grade II listed building.
Kineton High School is a mixed secondary school located in South Warwickshire, England within the village of Kineton. It is a non-selective academy school with a sixth form.
Ladbroke Hall is an 18th-century English country house at Ladbroke, near Southam, Warwickshire. It is a Grade II listed building and is now divided into apartments.
The Warwickshire Rugby Football Union is a governing body for rugby union in part of The Midlands, England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union for the city of Coventry and the county of Warwickshire. The current president is Yorkie Kinmond of the Earlsdon Rugby Club.