Erasmus Darwin Academy (previously Chasetown High School, then Chasetown Specialist Sports College) is a

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

and

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 ...

with academy status in the

Chasetown Chasetown is a village in the town of Burntwood in Staffordshire, England. It is split between the civil parishes of Burntwood and Hammerwich. History Chasetown developed in the mid 19th century as a coal mining village. At first the village ...

area of

Burntwood Burntwood is a former mining town and civil parish in the Lichfield District of Staffordshire, England. It is approximately west of Lichfield and north east of Brownhills, with a population of 26,049 and forming part of Lichfield district. T ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

, England.

History

Chasetown High School opened in 1970. Its gym was attacked by arsonists in 2004 and had to be rebuilt. This work was completed in 2006, following which the school bought a field opposite Pool Road as an extension for more field activities. The road was closed and now is part of the school grounds. After the new gym was built the school gained Specialist Sports College status. The school converted to an academy in 2011 and was renamed to commemorate

Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Robert Darwin (12 December 173118 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosophy, natural philosopher, physiology, physiologist, Society for Effecting the ...

, the 18th-century physician and

natural philosopher Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics, that is, nature and the physical universe, while ignoring any supernatural influence. It was dominant before the developme ...

who lived nearby at

Lichfield Lichfield () is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated south-east of the county town of Stafford, north-east of Walsall, north-west of ...

. In 2022, the prime minister at the time

Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak (born 12 May 1980) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 2022 to 2024. Following his defeat to Keir Starmer's La ...

visited the school.

Facilities

The school has a modern sports centre with a large sports hall, dance studio and gymnasium, a high quality, full-sized Astro-Turf facility, information technology rooms, design technology workshops, a Sixth Form Centre, a theatre with tiered seating, a Library Resource Centre, and science laboratories. There are eight hard-court tennis courts and extensive playing fields providing opportunities for many sports including rugby, cricket, football, athletics and hockey.

Alumni

Chasetown High School

* Mike Garmston, former chief physiotherapist to the British Olympic athletics team in the mid-1990s, a former athlete, husband of sprinter

Sonia Lannaman Sonia May Lannaman (born 24 March 1956) is a British former athlete, who competed mainly in the 100 metres. She won the Commonwealth Games 100 metres title in Edmonton 1978 and won an Olympic bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay at the ...

, and father of footballer

Bradley Garmston Bradley Jordan Garmston (born 18 January 1994) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. Having come through the academy at non-league side Sutton Coldfield Town he went on to join West Bromwich Albion where he sp ...

Jimmy Hill James William Thomas Hill, Order of the British Empire, OBE (22 July 1928 – 19 December 2015) was an English football in England, footballer and later a television personality. His career included almost every role in the sport, including pla ...

, radio broadcaster * Kim Betts,

gymnast Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...

bodybuilder Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's muscles via hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. It is primarily undertaken for aesthetic ...

, and TV presenter best known as Lightning in the ITV show ''

Gladiators A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...

'', where she was the longest-serving female star *

Matty Fryatt Matthew Charles Fryatt (born 5 March 1986) is an English football coach and former professional footballer, who played as a striker. Fryatt holds the record for fastest goal ever scored by a Leicester City player when he scored after 9 seconds ...

, Premier League footballer and coach * Hannah Hampton, Chelsea and England football goalkeeper * Tom Leak, footballer *

Lewis Askey Lewis Askey (born 4 May 2001) is a British cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Personal life His younger brother Ben Askey is also a professional cyclist. Major results Cyclo-cross ;2017–2018 : Junior National Trophy Series ::2 ...

- Professional Cyclist

References

{{authority control Academies in Staffordshire Burntwood School buildings in the United Kingdom destroyed by arson Secondary schools in Staffordshire