Garforth Academy (formerly known as Garforth Comprehensive School until September 1992 and Garforth Community College until November 2010) is a
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 ...
for pupils aged 11–18 and is located on Lidgett Lane (B6137) in
Garforth
Garforth () is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.
It sits in the Garforth and Swillington ward of Leeds City Council and the Leeds East parliamentary constituency. As of 2011, the population ...
,
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
, England.
The school been awarded the
Artsmark
Artsmark is the quality standard for culture and creativity in schools and education settings, awarded by Arts Council England. The Artsmark award provides a clear framework for teachers and education professionals to plan, develop and evaluat ...
(2002),
Investors in People
Investors in People is a standard for people management, offering accreditation to organisations that adhere to the Investors in People Standard. From 1991 to January 2017, Investors in People was owned by the UK government. As of 1 February 20 ...
Award, (2003), Schools Achievement Award, (2003), Education Extra award, (2001),
Sportsmark
Sportsmark is Sport England's accreditation scheme for secondary schools. The scheme recognises a school's out of hours sports provision. and
Beacon School
Beacon Status was a progressive educational initiative that the United Kingdom implemented based on the idea that organizational learning could be advanced through a competitive process of identifying successful organizations and recruiting the ...
status (2000), and
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's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training ...
described the school in 2010 (before it changed to academy status) as an "outstanding school".
History
The school was opened as Garforth Comprehensive School in 1967.
Barbara Castle
Barbara Anne Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn, (''née'' Betts; 6 October 1910 – 3 May 2002) was a British Labour Party politician who was a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament from 1945 United Kingdom general elec ...
Blackburn
Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the River Ribble, Ribble Valley, east of Preston ...
, performed an official opening of the school on 11 October 1969.
By 1992, the school was known as Garforth Community College. In November 2010, the school became Garforth Academy under the
Academies Act 2010
The Academies Act 2010 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It aims to make it possible for all publicly funded schools in England to become academies, still publicly funded but with a vastly increased degree of autonomy in issues ...
, becoming a part of the Delta Academies Trust.
Extracurricular activities
Since 2008, Garforth Academy has partnered with Mzuvele High School in
KwaMashu
KwaMashu is a township north of Durban, South Africa. The name honours Sir Marshall Campbell and means ''Place of Marshall''. KwaMashu is bordered by Newlands East to the south, Newlands West to the west, Ntuzuma to the north, Phoenix to the ...
,
Durban
Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Situated on the east coast of South ...
. In 2011, students from Garforth Academy travelled to Mzuvele to take part in a musical collaboration with students from the school.
In 2010, Garforth Academy hosted the launch of Arts Live, a community arts partnership between the school,
Brigshaw High School
Brigshaw High School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in the village of Allerton Bywater, West Yorkshire, England.
History
The school was opened in September 1972 with only 3 buildings within the school grounds, the ...
and ArtForms, the music and arts service provided by Education Leeds.
In literature
In the book ''The Modfather'', David Lines describes his time at the school in the late 1970s and early 1980s in great detail. He described the school as looking like a ''cold hard slab of institutionalised concrete'' and, after leaving a leafy
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...
grammar school, described his shock on his first day of the pupils wearing 'menacing boots' and watching his classmates 'literally kicking seven shades out of each other'.
Academic performance
As a result of improvements in the previous decade, the headteacher, Paul Edwards, received a
knighthood
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
The concept of a knighthood ...
in the
New Year Honours 2009
The New Year Honours 2009 were announced on 31 December 2008 in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Christopher and Nevis,Saint Christopher. t ...
for services to local and national education.
Notable alumni
*
Gabby Adcock
Gabrielle Marie Adcock (née White; born 30 September 1990) is an English retired badminton player.
Career
Gabby started playing badminton aged 10 in the badminton club at her school and became a full-time player straight from school at 16. S ...
, badminton player
*
Will Boyle
William Sam Douglas Harry Boyle (born 1 September 1995) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre back for club Wrexham.
Early life and club career Huddersfield Town
William Sam Douglas Harry Boyle was born on 1 September 19 ...
Jessica Fletcher
Jessica Beatrice "J. B." Fletcher () is a fictional detective and writer and the main character and protagonist of the American television series ''Murder, She Wrote''. Portrayed by award-winning actress Angela Lansbury, Fletcher is a best-sel ...
, badminton
*
Sian Gabbidon
Sian Marie Gabbidon (born 28 October 1992) is a British businesswoman, fashion designer and media personality. In 2018, Gabbidon won Series 14 of The Apprentice''.''
Early life and education
Gabbidon was born in Leeds, Yorkshire on 28 Octob ...
, businesswoman
*
Mitchell Lund
Mitchell Perry Lund (born 13 June 1996) is an English footballer who plays as a right back for Bradford (Park Avenue).
Career Doncaster Rovers
After coming through Doncaster Rovers's youth system, he signed his first professional contract in Ma ...
, footballer
*
Oli McBurnie
Oliver Robert McBurnie (born 4 June 1996) is a professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), striker for La Liga club UD Las Palmas, Las Palmas.
After playing youth football for Leeds United F.C. ...
, footballer
*
Lucy-Jo Hudson
Lucy-Jo Hudson (born 4 May 1983) is an English actress, known for her roles as Katy Harris (Coronation Street), Katy Harris in ''Coronation Street'', Rosie Trevanion in ''Wild at Heart (British TV series), Wild at Heart'' and Donna-Marie Quinn ...
, actress
*
Gary Keedy
Gary Keedy (born 27 November 1974) is a retired English cricketer. A slow-left arm spin bowler, he played one match for Yorkshire in 1994, having graduated from their cricket academy, before moving to Lancashire in 1995. He played for the club ...
, cricketer
*
Chris Silverwood
Christopher Eric Wilfred Silverwood (born 5 March 1975) is an English former international cricketer and coach. He is a former head coach of the Sri Lanka Cricket Team and previously the England Cricket Team.
Early life and domestic playing c ...
, cricketerCricinfo – Players and Officials – Chris Silverwood
* Phil Sharpe, footballer & football manager
*
Jenny Wallwork
Jennifer "Jenny" Wallwork (born 17 January 1987 in Bolton) is an English badminton player who has achieved international success in both the women's events and the mixed doubles event, including a Commonwealth Silver medal in 2010.
, badminton player
*
Andrew White Andrew White may refer to:
*Andrew White (Australian politician) (1859–1936)
*Andrew White (basketball) (born 1993), American basketball player
*Andrew White (Irish cricketer) (born 1980), Irish cricketer, played for Northamptonshire and for Ire ...
, musician
*
Ryan Hudson
Ryan Lee Hudson (born 20 November 1979), also known by the nicknames of "Raz", and "Hudders", is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for Great Britai ...
, Rugby League player
* Tom Olbison, Rugby League player
*
Tommy Spurr
Thomas Spurr (born 30 September 1987) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender for Sheffield Wednesday, Doncaster Rovers, Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End and a loan spell with Fleetwood Town.
Career Sheffield W ...