Harton Academy, formerly ''Harton Technology College'' or ''Harton Comprehensive School'', is a mixed secondary 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 ...

academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

located in

South Shields South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England; it is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. The town was once known in Roman Britain, Roman times as ''Arbeia'' and as ''Caer Urfa'' by the Early Middle Ag ...

South Tyneside South Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, England. It is bordered by all four other boroughs in Tyne and Wear: Gateshead to the west, Sunderland in the south, North Tyneside to the north and Newcastl ...

, England. In March 2022,

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 ...

rated Harton Academy’s overall effectiveness as ‘requires improvement’. This was over ‘issues in record-keeping’. The leadership and management was rated as ‘requires improvement’. The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and 6th form provision were rated as ‘good’. In February 2024,

rated Harton Academy’s overall effectiveness as 'good'. The personal development and 6th form provision were rated as 'outstanding'. The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes and leadership and management were rated as 'good'.

History

Harton was rated as 'outstanding' by

in 2006 and 2013, received 3 Government Achievement awards, featured in the 'top 50 most improved specialist schools' in the UK and identified as one of twelve outstanding schools serving disadvantaged communities. In 2010, £25,000,000 worth of construction was completed on a new 6th form block and the refurbishment of the 1936 block. In 2015, the swimming pool was redeveloped at the cost of £400,000. In 2011, the

DfE The Department for Education (DfE) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for child protection, child services, education (compulsory, further, and higher education), apprenticeships, and wi ...

awarded Harton with Teaching School status, allowing the academy to lead training and professional development of staff. In 2017, Harton Technology College was granted multi-academy status by the DfE and is now known as Harton Academy, part of The Illuminare Multi Academy Trust. In November 2023, the Illuminare Multi Academy Trust announced the appointment of a new Headteacher, Jon Skurr. In January 2024, Skurr took over from the previous Acting Headteacher, David Amos. Skurr is the eighth Headteacher in the school's history and is the Chief Executive Officer of the Illuminare Multi Academy Trust after Sir Ken Gibson had resigned from the role of Chief Executive Officer on 31 January 2024

Gallery

File:Harton Technology College - Old Block.jpg, Harton Academy Old Block: built 1930s, totally renovated 2012. Houses English, humanities, ICT, MFL and art File:Harton Technology College Aerial view.jpg, Aerial view (looking east) of Harton Academy showing new sixth-form block

Notable former pupils

South Shields High School (1885–1936)

* Sir Robert Chapman, 1st Baronet, MP for Houghton-le-Spring, Territorial Army officer * Harry Eltringham, entomologist * Robert Cooke Fenwick, aircraft designer * Sir Conrad Heron, civil servant * Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount Runciman of Doxford * Francis Scarfe, poet * Eric Weston, judge

Westoe Secondary School (1890–1936)

* Jack Brymer, clarinettist *

James Kirkup James Harold Kirkup (23 April 1918 – 10 May 2009) was an English poet, translator and travel writer. He wrote more than 45 books, including autobiographies, novels and plays. He wrote under many pen-names including James Falconer, Aditya Jha, ...

, controversial poet

South Shields High School for Boys (1936–1953)

* John Erickson, historian * Ron Fenton, footballer * James Mitchell, writer of ''

When the Boat Comes In ''When the Boat Comes In'' is a British television period drama produced by the BBC between 8 January 1976 and 21 April 1981. Across the whole series, events are set in the time period from 1919 to 1937. The series stars James Bolam as Jack Fo ...

'' and '' Callan'' * David Phillips (chemist), professor of physical chemistry from 1989–2006 at Imperial College, and gave the 1987 Christmas Royal Institution lecture * Donald Pickering, actor * David Alan Walker, Professor of Biology from 1970–84 at the

University of Sheffield The University of Sheffield (informally Sheffield University or TUOS) is a public university, public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Its history traces back to the foundation of Sheffield Medical School in 1828, Fir ...

* Sir Robert Wilson (astronomer)

South Shields Grammar-Technical School for Boys (1953–1974)

* Barry Clarke, professor of civil engineering geotechnics since 2008 at the

University of Leeds The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1874 as the Yorkshire College of Science. In 1884, it merged with the Leeds School of Medicine (established 1831) and was renamed Y ...

, and of civil engineering from 1998–2008 at Newcastle University, and president from 2012–13 of the

Institution of Civil Engineers The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a Charitable organization, charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters ar ...

* Robert Colls, professor of English history at the

University of Leicester The University of Leicester ( ) is a public university, public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park, Leicester, Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, Univ ...

* Ian Michael Davison,

PLO The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ) is a Palestinian nationalist coalition that is internationally recognized as the official representative of the Palestinian people in both the occupied Palestinian territories and the diaspora. ...

terrorist – for which Pan Am Flight 73 was hijacked on 5 September 1986 to free him from serving life imprisonment in a Cyprus prison for the murder of three Israelis *

John Gray (philosopher) John Nicholas Gray (born 17 April 1948) is an English political philosopher and author with interests in analytic philosophy, the history of ideas, and philosophical pessimism. He retired in 2008 as School Professor of European Thought at the L ...

, School Professor of European Thought from 1998–2007 at the LSE * Kevin Maguire (journalist), ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...

'' main political journalist (at the comprehensive from 1974) * John F. Pollard, historian * Edward Wilson – actor

Harton Comprehensive (1974–2001)

* David Wilson, rugby union player

Harton Technology College (2001–2017)

* Kane Avellano,

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

for youngest person to circumnavigate the world by motorcycle (solo and unsupported) at the age of 23 in 2017. * Joe McElderry, ''The X Factor'' 2009 winner.

References

External links

*
Site for old pupils, history of the school
{{authority control Education in South Shields Academies in the Metropolitan Borough of South Tyneside