academy
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...
Slough
Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the ...
in
Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Ber ...
, south east
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
. It opened in September 2008, replacing the former Langleywood Secondary School. The building was designed by
Foster and Partners
Foster + Partners is a British architectural, engineering, and integrated design practice founded in 1967 as Foster Associates by Norman Foster. It is the largest architectural firm in the UK with over 1,500 employees in 13 studios worldwide ...
, led by the architect
Norman Foster
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Nor ...
and by
Buro Happold
Buro Happold (previously ''BuroHappold Engineering'') is a British professional services firm that provides engineering consultancy, design, planning, project management, and consulting services for buildings, infrastructure, and the environment ...
. The school is supported by the Arbib Foundation. It has a specialism of
science
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence ...
and a
museum education
Museum education is a specialized field devoted to developing and strengthening the education role of informal education spaces and institutions such as museums.
In a critical report called ''Excellence and Equity'' published in 1992 by the Ameri ...
theme, including exhibits in the school building. It also promotes sport, notably
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...
and
rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...
.
History
Langley Wood Secondary School was created in 1982 on the site of the former Langley
Secondary Modern
A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Schools of this type continue in Northern Ireland, where they are usuall ...
School following a merger with the former Homewood Secondary Modern School. As of 2005 Langley wood had about 800 pupils. From 2003 to 2005, Langley wood was in
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions, incl ...
'special measures', but this period was successfully completed in November 2005. Upon the closure of Langley wood Ofsted were invited into the school by the outgoing headmaster, Paul McAteer, to give a final report. This final report described Langley Wood as "a good school with outstanding features."
In July 2004,
Slough Borough Council
Slough Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Slough, in Berkshire, England. Slough is a unitary authority, having the powers of a county and district council combined. Berkshire is purely a ceremonial county, with no administ ...
, the
local education authority
Local education authorities (LEAs) were local councils in England that are responsible for education within their jurisdiction. The term was used to identify which council (district or county) is locally responsible for education in a system wit ...
, agreed to support the establishment of an academy on the Langley Wood site. Langley Wood closed in July 2008 and was replaced by The Langley Academy in September 2008. The new academy opened in new buildings designed by Foster and Partners and was sponsored by the Arbib Foundation.
The Langley Academy under the leadership of its first principal, Chris Bowler, quickly established itself as the most popular non-selective secondary school in Slough as judged by parental preferences. It set high standards of behavior and discipline and set about the process of raising attainment and expectations as well as giving students a real voice in the way that the academy was run. It became known in the area and beyond for its focus on science (it is a science specialist academy) and for being the only museum learning school in the UK. It also had a focus on rowing, helped by Olympic double gold medalist