Neale-Wade Academy
Address
Wimblington Road

March
,
Cambridgeshire
,
PE15 9PX

England
Coordinates52°32′14″N 0°05′19″E / 52.5372°N 0.0886°E / 52.5372; 0.0886
Information
TypeAcademy
Established17th century (grammar school)
1969; 1983 (mergers)
2013 (academy)
Department for Education URN139272 Tables
OfstedReports
PrincipalGraham Horn
GenderCo-educational
Age11 to 19
Enrolment1425
Websitehttp://www.neale-wade.org/

Neale-Wade Academy (formerly Neale-Wade Community College) is a secondary school and sixth form with academy status in the market town of March, Cambridgeshire, England. As with many state schools, the current school was the product of a merger of a grammar school and a comprehensive school. The merged school has since grown to become, Fenland's largest secondary school. It was designated Mathematics & Computing specialist status in 2005, and gained academy status in 2013.

The current head teacher is Graham Horn who started his role there in 2020.

History

March Grammar School

The college can trace its history back to 1696 when William Neale left an estate, the income of which was to help educate 8 poor boys. In 1717, Henry Wade left £20 per annum to pay for a schoolmaster to teach 20 poor children of the Parish. These two bequests were the origin of what eventually became March Grammar School.[1] School premises were built on Station Road in 1876 and the school stayed there until a new site was opened on Wimblington Road in 1964. The Old Boys and Masters of the school who gave their lives during the two World Wars are commemorated on plaques which are displayed in the current college's main hall.[2]

Other schools

Hereward School was founded in 1934 due to the need for another senior school in the town. It turned fully comprehensive in 1969.

March High School for Girls was the local girls' grammar school. It was founded in 1907 to complement the boys-only March Grammar. The schools merged in 1969.[3]

Neale-Wade

The existing College site was established in the 1964 for the Grammar School. Around this time, the tripartite system was being phased out and many grammar or selective state schools were being merged with secondary modern schools. March Grammar and March High merged in 1969 to form Neale-Wade School. In 1983, after a great deal of debate and considerable building, the Neale-Wade merged with Hereward School to form a new comprehensive on the Neale-Wade site. It was agreed to keep the Neale-Wade name while designating the School a "Community College".[4]

After the March 2012 inspection, the college was placed into special measures by Ofsted but made progress under new principal Jason Wing, for which he was commended by inspectors in a follow-up report.[5]

In early November 2012, the school held meetings with parents and the community to discuss the possibility of converting into an academy.[6] The college became Neale-Wade Academy, an Active Learning Trust school on 1 April 2013.[7]

Description

This is an academy with sixth-form. It operates a two-week timetable which runs for 50 hours. Students are taught in mixed ability groups for all subjects except English and Maths in Year 7 and English, Maths and Science in Year 8.[8]

There is a two-year Key Stage 3 where students follow the National Curriculum, and a three-year Key Stage 4 where students study four Level 2 qualifications. All students take a sport based qualification during PE. The separate sciences are also available for the more able students, double language French, Spanish is possible.[8]

In the sixth form students are offered a combination of Level 3 Academic, Applied General and Tech Level Qualifications over the two years. There is an enrichment programme which includes both qualifications and non-qualification activities. GCSE Mathematics and GCSE English are available for those students who do not hold a Grade 4 or above. All Year 12 students follow a planned careers education programme which includes a work placement. The programme consists of a minimum of three A levels or Applied General or Tech Level qualifications of 10 hours per fortnight teaching time plus one hour timetabled independent learning each. These are chosen the from four option blocks.[8]

Former pupils

The March Grammar School Old Boys Association was founded in 1919 as its alumni association. In 2007 it changed its name to March Grammar and Neale-Wade Former Students Association to include former pupils of the current Neale-Wade Community College.

March Grammar School

Neale-Wade

Former staff

Grammar School

  • Stephen Crook, photographer[15]

References

  1. ↑ "School records - Cambridgeshire schools". Cambridgeshire County Council.
  2. ↑ "Roll of Honour - Cambridgeshire - March Grammar School". www.roll-of-honour.com. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "Cambridgeshire Archives Series - Handlist of school records" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "History of March Grammar School". Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  5. ↑ "School is on the up". Fenland Citizen. 8 October 2012.
  6. ↑ "March: Neale-Wade Academy meeting". Fenland Citizen. 8 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "On the up - as March college moves to Academy status". Fenland Citizen. 5 March 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 "Curriculum- Curriculum Plan 2019-20". Neale-Wade Academy. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  9. ↑ "March marks centenary of the birth of ibuprofen creator". BBC News. 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  10. ↑ "Obituary: Brian Corby". The Guardian. 4 April 2007.
  11. ↑ "Obituary - Timothy William Potter". sal.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  12. ↑ "My School Sport: Louise Hazel". Daily Telegraph. 13 July 2011.
  13. ↑ "Former Chatteris man is new Sun editor". Fenland Citizen. 27 August 2009.
  14. ↑ "Former Olympian hails 'dream job' as new Principal of Neale-Wade Community College". Cambs Times. 21 June 2011.
  15. ↑ "Obituary - Stephen Crook". News and Star. 9 December 2011. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013.
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