Archway School is a comprehensive co-educational school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in

Stroud Stroud is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District. The town's population was 13,500 in 2021. Sited below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, at the meeting point of the ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, England. The

headteacher A headmaster/headmistress, head teacher, head, school administrator, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. Role While s ...

is Kieron Smith. Archway Secondary Modern School, Paganhill, Stroud was built on land compulsorily purchased from EJ Wheeler of Park Farm and from part of the Farmhill Park Estate. The latter was the home in the 1830s of magistrate Henry Wyatt (1793-1847) who built the gate archway (which gives the School its name) as a commemoration of the abolition of slavery. The School received its first pupils in September 1961 and was one of the first comprehensive schools in the Stroud area. The first Headteacher was Mr SGH Loosely who was pictured on the school's opening day with Head Boy Gerald Butler and Head Girl Gillian Wood. It was officially opened on Friday 30 March 1962 by Walter James, Editor of the

Times Educational Supplement ''TES'', formerly known as the ''Times Educational Supplement'', is a British weekly trade magazine aimed at education professionals. It was first published in 1910 as a pull-out supplement in ''The Times'' newspaper. Such was its popularity th ...

, together with Major PD Birchall, Chairman of the County Education Committee and Mrs Margaret Hills, Chairman of the School Governors. The school has playing fields, including cricket nets, rugby and football pitches, a full size running track, tennis courts and a hockey redgra. The school has a heated indoor swimming-pool, and in 1997 opened a fully fitted sports centre including a dance room, gym and large sprung-floor hall. Cross-country running also commonly takes place across the nearby Randwick hills. Archway has its own

sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

which was part of the Stroud Post-16 Consortium along with Downfield Sixth Form (a collaboration between Marling School and Stroud High School) and South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. The sports centre includes the "Jack Russell Lounge," named after former student the

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

wicket keeper Robert "Jack" Russell. In 2019 to 2022 Archway School students had a leading role in the Fridays For Future school strikes in

. Two Archway students were awarded Young People of the Year by Stroud Town Council in 2019.

Use in film

The BBC's ' The Casual Vacancy' was filmed at the school in 2014.

Notable alumni

* Mike Cook, former professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

for

York City York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system, as of the 2024–25 seas ...

and

Cambridge United Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They currently compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed the U’s, the club h ...

, and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

of Gloucester City A.F.C. * Luke Jerram,

installation art Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific art, site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior intervent ...

ist - ''Tide'',''Glass Microbiology'',''Maya''. *

Tamzin Malleson Tamzin Malleson (born 1 May 1974) is an English actress. Early life and education Malleson was born in Yeovil, and attended Horsley Primary School in Horsley, Gloucestershire, where she had her first taste of acting as a Munchkin. She furthere ...

, actress - '' Dangerfield'', ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British Mystery fiction, mystery television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the ''Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series created by Caroline Graham (writer), Caroline Graham. ...

'', '' Marcella''. * Stuart Nelson, goalkeeper for

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...

, Leyton Orient,

Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football, football club in Nottingham, England, which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of Football in England, English football, following promotion and relegation, promotion ...

, Gillingham, and Dover Athletic. * Jack Russell, cricketer -

Wicket-keeper In cricket, the wicket-keeper is the Cricket player, player on the fielding (cricket), fielding side who stands behind the wicket, ready to stop Delivery (cricket), deliveries that pass the batsman, and take a Caught, catch, Stumped, stump the ...

1987-1998. * Tom Smith (musician)

References

External links

Archway School
{{authority control 1961 establishments in England Community schools in Gloucestershire Educational institutions established in 1961 Schools in Stroud Secondary schools in Gloucestershire