Bede Academy, Blyth

Bede Academy is a 3–18 academy located in Blyth, Northumberland, England. Opened in September 2009, it is run by the Emmanuel Schools Foundation.[6]

Bede Academy
Address
Sixth Avenue

Blyth
,
Northumberland
,
NE24 2SY

England
Information
TypeAcademy
MottoVeritas vos liberabit (Latin)
The Truth Shall Set You Free[1]
Religious affiliation(s)Christian
Established1 Sept 2009[2]
FounderSir Peter Vardy
Local authorityNorthumberland
SpecialistEngineering and Enterprise[3]
Department for Education URN135619 Tables
OfstedReports
Principal of Secondary YearsAndrew Thelwell[4]
Principal of Primary YearsBethan Harding MBE[5]
Age3 to 18
Websitehttp://www.bedeacademy.org.uk

Governance

The Emmanuel Schools Foundation (ESF), established by entrepreneur Sir Peter Vardy, had previously opened three other schools: Emmanuel City Technology College in Gateshead (1990), The King's Academy in Middlesbrough (2003) and Trinity Academy in Thorne, Doncaster (2005).

In October 2010, Vardy announced his retirement as sponsor of the group and its transition to the United Learning Trust. After exploring the integration of the ESF schools into the ULT, it was later announced in February 2012 that the Department for Education had agreed in principle to the four schools returning to their own independent governance.

Ethos and values

The academy has a non-denominational Christian ethos. It promotes seven core values, namely: Honourable Purpose, Humility, Compassion, Integrity, Accountability, Courage and Determination.

For children in the primary years this is simplified to "Be Good", "Be Humble", "Be Kind", "Be Honest", "Be Responsible" and "Be Brave and Determined".[1]

Facilities

Building

The academy was purpose-built in 2009, designed by architects Howarth Litchfield Partnership with consulting engineers Cundall and was constructed by Surgo Construction. The "North" site housing the secondary school was built on the site of the former Ridley High School and the "South" primary school on the site of the former South Beach First School.[7] Its secondary accommodation comprises over 50 classrooms, a main hall (seating 500), lecture theatre (seating 200), a large sports hall, a dance studio, fitness suite, learning resource centre, sixth form study area, drama studio, recording studio, specialist engineering rooms, restaurant and multi-use games area (MUGA). The building features natural air circulation systems, augmented by air conditioning in key rooms and has a substantial geo-thermal heating system with bores covering a large section of the car park.

For the 2012 academic year, the former Sixth Form block of Ridley High School, which had avoided demolition with the rest of the former high school as it served as the site office and base for the academic and administrative staff developing the new Academy, was redeveloped to house the Sixth Form. Two large rooms with numerous computers named Study Centres, a common room, a careers office and an additional classroom were opened on the ground floor. The Emmanuel Schools Foundation central services staff, previously at Aykley Heads, Durham, moved shortly afterward to the first floor of the newly named Trinity House.

Sports

In addition to the sports facilities on the North and South sites, the academy also owns the land of the former Delaval Middle School site which was developed into a cricket pitch with pavilion along with a number of other sports facilities.

Technology

The school has invested significantly in audio visual equipment. The Lecture Theatre is equipped with a large high-definition video screen, with multiple input vision mixing functionality, six-channel surround sound, a 48 channel sound mixing console with ethernet-based connectivity and high end loudspeakers. The Main Hall has a large, motorised lighting rig, lighting console, high-definition video screen, 48 channel sound mixing console, theatre-style technical communications system and pre-wired audio, visual, lighting control and ethernet connectivity. The Recording Studio is based around an Avid C|24 control surface and personal computer running Pro Tools.

Leadership

During the school's initial development, Nigel McQuoid, former Principal of Emmanuel College, Gateshead and subsequently ESF's Director of Schools, was the Executive Principal of Bede Academy to whom the Principals of the Primary and Secondary Years reported. McQuoid left the organisation a few months prior to the completion of the building and the school's opening.

From 2009 to 2010 Liz Clubbs, formerly Headteacher at South Beach First School, was the founding Principal of the primary years with Gwyneth Evans, who was previously a Vice-Principal at sister school Emmanuel College, Gateshead, leading the secondary years. Gwyneth Evans then became Principal with Bethan Harding MBE serving as the headteacher of the primary years site.[5] In June 2018, Gwyneth Evans announced she was to leave at the end of the academic year and was replaced in April 2019 by Mr Andrew Thelwell.

In 2013, Jonathan Winch, Principal of Emmanuel College, was appointed Executive Principal of Bede Academy. Winch has now moved to oversee one of the ESF Academies in Thorne, while the CEO of ESF is Professor Mark Pike. The board of the ESF is available online.

School Life

Curriculum

The academy follows the National Curriculum and has academic specialists grouped into Mathematics, English, Science (including physics, chemistry and biology specialists), Engineering, Sport, Modern Foreign Languages (teaching French and German but running clubs for Spanish and Italian), History, Geography, Music, Drama and Philosophy, Theology and Ethics (encompassing religious, personal and social education) departments.

Publications

The academy publishes a newsletter, Bede Chronicle,[8] once per term and an annual Year Book[9] each autumn.

Events

The academy regularly hosts events for students, parents and the local community. These have included concerts featuring the Reg Vardy Band,[10] talent shows, quizzes and cookery competitions. Its major productions have so far included a musical version of George Orwell's Animal Farm in June 2010, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in March 2011, Lionel Bart's Oliver! in March 2012, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in March 2013, Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera in December 2013 and Charles Strouse's Annie in March 2015, Les Misérables in October 2016, Sound of Music in October 2017, and recently Evita in July 2019.

Sport

The academy has a major focus on sporting activities and runs teams for a number of different sports, many of which have won local and regional titles. It competes in rugby, hockey, netball, cricket, rowing, fencing, and tennis. It has also hosted summer schools and weekly coaching sessions with Newcastle United Football Club and the Newcastle Eagles basketball team.

The schools of the Emmanuel Schools Foundation also host the annual ESF Olympics, in which students participate against their peers from the other schools in the group.

Houses

Each pupil is placed into a school 'House' used for inter-school competitions and sports matches:[11]

  •   Aiden
  •   Cuthbert
  •   Oswald

Points are accumulated over the year and the winning House is presented with the House Cup at the annual Presentation Day.

Other Emmanuel Schools
School Location
Emmanuel College Gateshead
The King's Academy Middlesbrough
Trinity Academy Doncaster
Grace College Gateshead
Christ's College Sunderland

References
  1. Motto and ethos, "Mission statement ethos and core values", Bede Academy website, Retrieved 2 December 2019
  3. Specialisms, "Engineering and Enterprise", Bede Academy website, Retrieved 2 December 2019
  4. Current Principals "Meet the principals page", Bede Academy website. Retrieved 2 December 2019
  5. Bethan Harding, the head of primary years at Bede Academy in Blyth, 'Northumberland folk receive Queens Birthday Honours', , Northumberland gazette, Blyth, 19 June 2017, Retrieved 2 December 2019
  6. Charity Commission. Emmanuel Schools Foundation, registered charity no. 1093739.
  7. "Construction starts on Bede Academy". Faithful+Gould. 9 July 2008. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013.
  8. "Bede chronicle archive", Retrieved 2 December 2019
  9. List of year books "Year book archive" Bede Academy Website, Retrieved 2 December 2019
  10. Reg vardy band 2014, Page 8 of "Bede Chronicle May 2014", Bede Academy website. Retrieved 3 December 2019
  11. House system information,"House competitions page", Bede Academy website. Retrieved 2 December 2019

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