The Thomas Alleyne Academy

The Thomas Alleyne Academy is an Academy in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in 1558,[1] when the original school was set up from the will of Thomas Alleyne. It become an Academy in 2013.

The Thomas Alleyne Academy
Front gates
Address
Map
High Street

, ,
SG1 3BE

Coordinates51°54′54″N 0°12′30″W / 51.914961°N 0.20822°W / 51.914961; -0.20822
Information
TypeAcademy,
MottoAchieving excellence through personal growth.
Established1558; 466 years ago (1558)
FounderReverend Thomas Alleyne
Department for Education URN140037 Tables
OfstedReports
Chair of GovernorsJonathan Ellam
Head teacherMark Lewis
Staff100
GenderMixed
Age11 to 18
Enrolment995
Houses
Colour(s)Navy Blue  
Websitewww.tas.herts.sch.uk

It is situated at the northern end of Stevenage High Street, in Stevenage Old Town, adjacent to the roundabout of the A1072 and the A602 (former A1), and more than 200 metres to the east of the East Coast Main Line.

The Academy has 180 in each year group and is a popular school, with Year 7 places usually oversubscribed. The school was inspected by Ofsted in October 2019 and retained a 'Good' rating.

In 2017 the school converted all lighting to LED; a project funded by The Educational Social Enterprise Fund for LED Lighting.[2] In the same year the school moved their heating system from gas to Biomass fuel. The biomass system is fuelled with wood pellets obtained from sustainable forests.  In the summer of 2020, the 1950s science block was completely renovated using a Capital Improvement Fund government grant, upgrading the outdated 1950s labs to state of the art new facilities.

The current head teacher at the Thomas Alleyne Academy is Mr Mark Lewis. Mark Lewis is also the Managing Director of the Hart Schools Trust, a Multi-Academy Trust incorporating Roebuck Academy in Stevenage.

History edit

The school was founded in 1558 and named after Thomas Alleyne, who was rector of Stevenage. In his will, Thomas Alleyne left money that was used to found Master Allen's school. The name was changed to Alleyne's Grammar School in 1869.

20th Century edit

Francis Cammaerts (1916–2006), French Resistance leader and witness in the Lady Chatterley's Lover Trial, was headmaster from 1952 to 1961. Francis Cammaerts was the author Michael Morpurgo's uncle. Morpurgo wrote a fictional story based on his uncle's experiences in WWII ‘In the Mouth of the Wolf’.

The Vincent motorcycle factory was based in the current Thomas Alleyne Academy reception between 1928 and 1955. There is a plaque on the reception building commemorating the Vincent motorcycle champion George Brown

In 1969 the school became a comprehensive, Alleyne's School. In 1989 it merged with Stevenage Girls' School and changed to its name to Thomas Alleynes School.[citation needed]

21st Century edit

In 2008, the school became a Specialist Science College and received funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Familie to upgrade Science and ICT facilities.[3]

During the summer of 2012, Thomas Alleyne's was chosen to choose a torchbearer to run with the torch for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

The school became an Academy in 2013, in partnership with the Hart School Trust The school is still on the site it has occupied for four and a half centuries, a short walk both from Thomas Alleyne's Church and from his home.

Academy Status edit

In March 2013, the School (as it was then known) requested to turn into an Academy.

On Sunday 1 September 2013, Alleynes became an Academy, with links to North Hertfordshire College. This means that the Academy is now funded directly by central government and not the Local Authority, allowing Alleynes more control over finances and their curriculum.

Notable former pupils edit

Alleyne's Grammar School edit

Alleyne's School edit

Notable former Staff edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "History of Our Academy". Thomas Alleyne Academy. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Renewable Solutions Lighting | The Thomas Alleyne Academy". Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  3. ^ "The Thomas Alleyne School - About our School". Thomas Alleynes School. Internet Archive. Archived from the original on 4 June 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Graham Poll" (PDF). Hall of Fame 2010. Sports Stevenage. 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.[dead link]
  5. ^ Luxton, Simon (9 November 2020). "Roger Luxton obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 January 2021.

External links edit

News items edit

Stevenage students off to a flying start with Airbus mentoring scheme (Oct 2019)

Student from the Thomas Alleyne School carries Olympic Torch through Stevenage Old Town

MP Praises Thomas Alleyne students on a school charity day to raise money to "Send my friend to school"