The Long Eaton School

The Long Eaton School is a secondary Academy on Thoresby Road in Long Eaton located between Nottingham and Derby.

The Long Eaton School
Address
Thoresby Road Long Eaton , Derbyshire , NG10 3NP England
Coordinates	52.891°N 1.282°W / 52.891; -1.282
Information
Type	Academy
Motto	Opening doors to the future
Established	1910
Local authority	Derbyshire
Trust	Archway Learning Trust
Department for Education URN	136716 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Chair of Academic Advisory Board	Melanie Ennis [1]
Headteacher	Mark Shipman[2]
Gender	Mixed
Age	11 to 18
Enrolment	1,050[3]
Houses	Calke, Chatsworth, Hardwick, Sudbury
Website	http://www.longeaton.derbyshire.sch.uk/

History

The former "LEGS" Grammar School building still stands in 2008

The £14,900 school opened on 29 October 1910 as the Long Eaton Higher Elementary School and Pupil Teachers' Centre on Tamworth Road.^[4] The first headmaster was Samuel Clegg. The school was created for Clegg on the recommendation of Prof. Michael Sadler (who was to go on and found universities).^[4] In 1913, the school became known as Long Eaton County Secondary School. In 1916, school dinners were introduced, with most of the vegetables being grown on site. In 1918, the school leaving age was raised from 12 to 14.

In 1945, it became the Long Eaton Grammar School. In 1972, it merged with the nearby Roper Secondary modern school, built in 1964, to become a comprehensive school. In 1989, it was renamed the Long Eaton Community School, to return to being known as The Long Eaton School in 1999.

New site

The footbridge over the canal built for the school

On 14 February 2006, the former building which had been the grammar school on Tamworth Road (B6540), close to Long Eaton's centre, was closed. Part of the old buildings were demolished for housing. That part was previously used for years 10–11 (ages 15–16) and also the Sixth Form. A brand new £15m school was built, under PFI funding by Babcock & Brown, adjacent to the former Roper School site, on the other side of the Erewash Canal. The new school is accessible via a footbridge over the canal. The former buildings of the Roper School were demolished. The new school is surrounded by a large security fence. It was built under the same PFI contract as Newbold Community School in Chesterfield.

It is a specialist science college, with an Eco status.^[5] The school recently had a new building built in 2005 and was visited by Gordon Brown on 10 November 2006 for the official opening.^[6] In September 2007, the school had to close for two days due to a water contamination of Legionnaire's disease.^[7]

In March 2020, like many schools in the United Kingdom, the school closed its doors to everyone except those with parents as key workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Academy status

The school consulted on conversion to Academy status as an Outstanding school, under the provisions of the Academies Act 2010, in the autumn of 2010. Although the process was made more complex by the school's PFI arrangements, conversion took place in April 2011. The Academy does not have a sponsor, and has retained the name The Long Eaton School.

In 2016 the school was approved as an Academy sponsor, and created a multi-Academy Trust operating under the name The Northworthy Trust. In 2021, the school, along with the other schools in The Northworthy Trust, were transferred to Archway Learning Trust.^[8]

Observatory

Building on its specialism in Science, the school has developed expertise in Astronomy, and now offers the subject at a GCSE as well as through evening community and "family learning" events. It is part of two national programmes – Leading Space Education and Astroschools. In July 2011 work began on building The Malcolm Parry Observatory, a project funded partly by The Wolfson Foundation, which was opened in 2012.

Former teachers

• Charles Bungay Fawcett, leading British geographer, professor of Geography at the universities of Leeds and London.^[9]
• Frederick L. Attenborough^[10] – joined in 1913. Married Samuel Clegg's (the headmaster) daughter Mary. Their children would be Lord (Richard) Attenborough, Sir David Attenborough, and John Attenborough. Samuel Clegg remained headmaster until he died in 1930. Richard Attenborough used to reside at Bothe Hall just over a mile down the road in Sawley, on Tamworth Road.

Notable students

• Baroness Sue Campbell MBE, (1948–), Chairman: UK Sport^[11]
• Alec Clegg (1909–1986), Chief Education Officer, West Riding of Yorkshire County Council (1945–74), and the son of Samuel Clegg.^[12]
• Harry Godwin FRS (1901–1985), botanist
• Paula Christine Hammond MBE, JP (1944–2017)
• Gordon Hobday (1916–2015), Chancellor, Nottingham University, 1979–1992.^[13]
• Douglas Houghton, Baron Houghton of Sowerby (1898–1996), Labour MP from 1949 to 1974 for Sowerby
• Arthur Henry LeFebvre, (1923–2003), Distinguished Reilly Professor of Combustion Engineering^[14]
• Keith Matthewman QC, (1936–2008), Circuit Judge^[15]
• John Walters (broadcaster) (1939–2001)
• Liv Hill (2000-) (actress)

References

1. https://www.longeaton.derbyshire.sch.uk/our-academy/statutory-information/#1488188967843-0e3933a9-a325. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
2. "The Long Eaton School - GOV.UK".
3. https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Establishments/Establishment/Details/136716. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
4. History of former grammar school. Retrieved 12 November 2008
5. Eco award in July 2007
6. Gordon Brown opens school in November 2006
7. Bacteria in September 2007. Retrieved 12 November 2008
8. Hampton, Sian. "ALT_Welcome Into Letter" (PDF). The Long Eaton School. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
9. Hugh Clout, "Fawcett, Charles Bungay (1883–1952)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, September 2011 accessed 2 January 2016
10. Attenborough, Frederick Levi’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2007 accessed 15 November 2008
11. Campbell, Susan Catherine’, Who's Who 2008, A & C Black, 2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2007 accessed 15 November 2008
12. ‘Clegg, Sir Alec (Alexander Bradshaw Clegg)’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2007 accessed 15 November 2008
13. Hobday, Sir Gordon (Ivan)’, Who's Who 2008, A & C Black, 2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2007 accessed 15 November 2008
14. Lefebvre, Prof. Arthur Henry, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2007 accessed 15 November 2008
15. MATTHEWMAN, His Honour Keith’, Who's Who 2008, A & C Black, 2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2007 accessed 15 November 2008

External links

• Website
• The Malcolm Parry Observatory