Downham Market Academy
| Established | 1956 |
|---|---|
| Type | Academy |
| Interim Principal | Mr. Phil Hearne |
| Location |
Bexwell Road Downham Market Norfolk PE38 9LL England 52°36′14″N 0°23′19″E / 52.6040°N 0.3886°ECoordinates: 52°36′14″N 0°23′19″E / 52.6040°N 0.3886°E |
| DfE number | 926/4001 |
| DfE URN | 139204 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports Pre-academy reports |
| Staff | 250 |
| Students | 1381 pupils |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 11–16 Downham Market Academy 16–18 Downham Market Academy Sixth Form |
| Houses |
Keystage 3 (Years 7-9):
Keystage 4 (Years 10-11):
|
| Website | www.downhammarketacademy.co.uk |
Keystage 3 (Years 7-9):
Keystage 4 (Years 10-11):
Downham Market Academy (formerly Downham Market High School) is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status, situated in Downham Market, Norfolk, England. The academy was launched on 1 July 2013, sponsored by the CWA Academy Trust founded by the College of West Anglia.
Teaching is shared between two sites, with the main Bexwell campus housing pupils years 7 - 11 (ages 11 – 16) and the Downham Market Academy Sixth Form (formerly Downham Market College) campus offering A-levels to sixth form pupils years 12 - 13 (ages 16 – 18).
The Bexwell site dates back to 1956 and was originally organised as separate boys' and girls' secondary modern single-sex schools. With building adaptations at the time of re-organisation in 1980, these former schools are now designated the Junior and Senior sides of the Bexwell site. The Upwell block was added as a consequence of the closure of Upwell Secondary in 1982 when around 220 additional pupils were added to the school roll. The Malcolm Arnold Room was opened by the composer Sir Malcolm Arnold in 1984. Other buildings on the Bexwell site include the Technology Block (1997), the Arts Block, housing History, Music and Drama (2001) and the English Block (2005).
Ryston was formerly the premises of Downham Grammar School, built in 1930 in the extensive grounds of the White House dating back to the 17th century. The house was formerly occupied by the headmaster of the school and, later, by the sixth form. It became surplus to requirements and was sold back into the residential sector in 2000. Since reorganisation, two new blocks have been added on the Ryston site. The Art and Business centre was opened by Gillian Shepherd MP, Minister of State for Education.
The academic years 1980/81 and 1981/82 saw the phasing out of the previous grammar and secondary modern pattern of education and, from September 1982, Downham Market High School became a fully amalgamated county, co-educational, secondary, comprehensive, day school. Year 7 pupils were based at Ryston after reorganisation in 1980, due to Bexwell insufficient space for five year groups, and Ryston's additional space for the then much smaller sixth form. Ofsted stressed the importance of uniting Key Stages 3 and 4 on the same site and this was duly achieved with the opening of the New Block on the Bexwell site in 2001. In September 1983, the existing transfer arrangements into the school were re-organised so that all pupils entered at 11+ and not, as hitherto, with pupils from the surrounding village primary schools entering at 11+ and pupils from Clackclose County Middle School and Hillcrest First and Middle School entering at 12+.
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