Business Academy Bexley

The Business Academy Bexley
Motto "No goal is beyond our reach"
Established 2002
Closed 2017
Type Academy, primary and secondary
Location Erith
London
DA18 4DW
England
DfE URN 133769 Tables
Ofsted Reports
Gender Both
Ages 3-19+
Website thebusinessacademy.org

The Business Academy Bexley was a school for ages 3–19 in South Thamesmead, the London Borough of Bexley, England, operating under the Academy programme for schools

The secondary school was established as a City Academy 2002, under the sponsorship of 3E's Enterprises (later acquired by GEMS Education),[1] [2] and property developer David Garrard, chairman of the Minerva group, who donated £2.5 million.[3][4]

The school relocated to dedicated premises in September 2003 and the primary school section opened in 2004. As of 2007 the total enrollment was 1,477.[5]

The school was constructed on a 33-acre (130,000 m2) site at a cost of £31m. Architect Norman Foster designed the building, which was nominated for the 2004 Stirling Prize, and some parts have been compared to "a smart City office".[6]

However the Academy didn't make the progress expected[7] and by 2007 was languishing at the bottom of the School League tables for Bexley. In 2008 GCSE results and value added placed it ahead of a number of other non-selective schools in Bexley.

In 2010 the school had a deficit of £500,000, largely for repairs to the "incredibly expensive to run" seven year old building, but also to attract staff. The school had had a high turnover of headteachers and pupil enrolment had fallen to about 1,100 exacerbating the deficit.[8]

On September 25, 2011, The Business Academy Bexley was featured on Channel 4's programme 'Derren Brown: How to be a Psychic Spy'.

The school was placed into special measures during an Ofsted inspection on 11th and 12th May 2016.[9]

Due to the schools poor Ofsted inspection, the Harris Federation took over the school and renamed it the Harris Garrard Academy from January 2017.[10]

References

  1. "Academy opens doors to the future". BBC Website. BBC. 10 Sep 2002. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  2. "Print article Save to favourites Bookmark and Share article icon Private giant buys into state sector". Times Educational Supplement. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  3. Nicholas Pyke (May 5, 2002). "School seeks to attract staff with low-rent homes". London: The Observer.
  4. "Academy opens doors to the future". BBC News. 10 September 2002. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  5. "2007 Ofsted report". Ofsted.
  6. Morris, Steven (July 9, 2004). "Schools fear fallout from local academy". London: The Guardian. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  7. Lightfoot, Liz (15 September 2004). "'Beacon' school takes on Ofsted". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  8. "Business Academy Bexley may be forced to cut staff over £500,000 deficit". Evening Standard. London. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  9. "The Business Academy Bexley placed in Special Measures after a challenging time - News Articles - The Business Academy Bexley". www.thebusinessacademy.org. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  10. May, Luke (7 September 2017). "Principal vows to up expectation levels as he takes over at the Harris Garrard Academy". Bexley Times. Retrieved 1 April 2018.

Coordinates: 51°29′45″N 0°08′07″E / 51.4958°N 0.1353°E / 51.4958; 0.1353

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