Accrington Academy
 | |
| Motto | The Best in Everyone |
|---|---|
| Established | 2008 |
| Type | Academy |
| Principal | Andy O'Brien |
| Founder | United Learning |
| Location |
Queens Road West Accrington Lancashire BB5 4FF England 53°45′41″N 2°22′21″W / 53.761419°N 2.372472°WCoordinates: 53°45′41″N 2°22′21″W / 53.761419°N 2.372472°W |
| Local authority | n/a |
| DfE URN | 135649 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 1150 |
| Gender | coeducational |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Houses | Athena, Caerus, Zeus and Metis |
| Colours | blue white black |
| Former name | Moorhead High School |
| Website | Accrington Academy |
Accrington Academy is a mixed 11-18 Academy in Accrington, Lancashire. It has designated specialisms in Sports and Mathematics. It is situated in the centre of Accrington. Accrington St Christopher's C of E High is nearby to the west.
History
The school, run by United Learning, opened on 1 September 2008 on the site of the former Accrington Moorhead Sports College, itself the successor Moorhead High School which was the successor of the one-time Accrington High School for Girls. All pupils previously at Moorhead automatically transferred to the new school, which has had a sixth form provision from September 2009.[1]
Former schools
Accrington Grammar School had around 500 boys and 100 in the sixth form in the 1970s. Accrington High School for Girls had around 600 girls. Accrington Moorhead High School was on Cromwell Avenue off Queen's Road West.The school was founded in 1895 on Blackburn Rd, Accrington as a 'Technical School' In 1968, it moved to the Moorhead site. In 1975, following the Labour government's educational reforms, it ceased to exist.
Notable former pupils
Accrington Academy
Natalie Whitham was the first student at Accrington Academy to get into Oxford University. [2]
Accrington Grammar School
- Sir Kenneth Barnes CB, Permanent Secretary from 1976-82 of the Department of Employment
- Jim Bowen, comedian, and former host of Bullseye
- Oliver Bulleid CBE, Chief Mechanical Engineer from 1937-48 of the Southern Railway, and President from 1946-47 of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), and assistant to Sir Nigel Gresley at the LNER works at Doncaster, helping to develop the LNER Class A4 and LNER Class P1
- Prof Wesley Cocker, developed methyl methacrylate for Perspex at ICI Dyestuffs at Blackley[3]
- Harold Davenport FRS, mathematician, known for the Davenport–Schinzel sequence, Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics from 1958-69 at the University of Cambridge
- Sir James Drake CBE, civil engineer, designed the UK's first motorway when with Lancashire County Council
- Graeme Fowler, cricketer
- Harry Hill (cyclist)
- Ron Hill, marathon runner in the 1964 Tokyo and 1972 Munich Olympics, and won the gold at the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games
- Prof Leslie Howarth OBE, Henry Overton Wills Professor of Mathematics, University of Bristol (1964-76)
- Eric Kinder, Chairman from 1990-97 and Chief Executive from 1982-90 of Smith & Nephew
- Prof John Lamb CBE, James Watt Professor of Electrical Engineering from 1961-91 at the University of Glasgow, President from 1970-2 of the British Society of Rheology
- Bryan Langton CBE, Chairman and Chief Executive from 1990-96 of Holiday Inn
- Rev Fred Lord, Editor from 1941-56 of The Baptist Times
- James Prescott FRS CBE, Professor of Agricultural Chemistry from 1924-55 at the University of Adelaide and Director of the Waite Agricultural Research Institute (1938-55)
- Sir John Tomlinson CBE, bass
- Prof John Wallwork CBE FRCS FMedSci, performed the first artificial heart transplant on 26 August 1994 at Papworth Hospital, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon from 1981-2011 and Director of Transplantation from 1989-2006
- Graham Walne, theatre lighting designer
- Harry Yeadon, civil engineer, worked with James Drake on the UK's first motorway
Accrington High School for Girls
- Julie Hesmondhalgh, actress
- Gwen Mayor, primary school teacher who died at the Dunblane massacre
- Val Robinson (hockey player) OBE, played for Great Britain
- Hazel Townson, children's author
- Jeanette Winterson, author
