South Axholme Academy
The school is on the A161, next to Epworth Leisure Centre, and is in the North Lincolnshire Local education authority. South Axholme School Trust is operated by the school itself, the University of Lincoln, Bishop Grosseteste University and Lincolnshire Co-operative.
History
Secondary modern school
The school was opened in January 1961 by Lindsey County Council. It cost £140,000, and had nine classrooms with 350 children. It was considered being named the John Wesley Secondary School.
From September 1964, Epworth children would travel to Crowle for nursing training, and Crowle children (North Axholme Secondary School, which opened in November 1957) would travel to Epworth for commerce and metalwork, and would work with North Lindsey Technical College
Plans for comprehensive schools at the North and South Axholme secondary schools were submitted by 1966. The school governors approved the scheme in January 1967, of Lindsey Education Committee, but parents preferred the secondary schools in Gainsborough, and were less happy with going to Epworth.
Comprehensive
It became comprehensive in September 1968.
In 1974 it became under Humberside Education Committee, and in 1996 under North Lincolnshire LEA. Initially it was Epworth Comprehensive School, and afterwards, South Axholme Comprehensive School. In 2000 it became South Axholme Community School with Arts Technology College status.
In September 2010 it gained foundation school status - South Axholme, like many foundation schools (the remnants of grant-maintained schools) belong to a trust, as defined by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. In December 2011 the school gained academy status. It was then renamed South Axholme Academy.
Catchment area
Pupils closer to Scunthorpe attend the John Leggott College after 16 years of age. Grammar school education is available in Gainsborough (West Lindsey), which slightly alters South Axholme's intake of pupils. The school attracts those pupils preferring not to be educated in Scunthorpe. It receives pupils from outside its catchment area, including the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster and the Bassetlaw District of North Nottinghamshire.
Curriculum
Sport is emphasised in the curriculum, the school having sports teams. It gets good results at GCSE, and in 2010 received the second best GCSE results in North Lincolnshire.
School extra-curricular activity includes an orchestra. Annual carol services are held at the Wesley Memorial Methodist Church in Epworth. The school had previously entered national film-making competitions.
Notable alumni
- Gina Bramhill, actress
- Joanna Makel, of the local BBC (and her older sister Andrea, now an English teacher who had earlier attended the Gainsborough Girls High School; their father was the vicar of Epworth from September 1981, from Scotton in May 1972); she went to Bristol, with a degree in English and Philosophy in 1993
- Erica Nockalls, violinist
- Sheridan Smith – actress
References
- ^ Epworth Leisure Centre Archived September 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph Thursday 15 September 1960, page 4
- ^ Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph Wednesday 12 October 1960, page 10
- ^ Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph Thursday 23 July 1964, page 7
- ^ Gainsborough Evening News Tuesday 28 June 1966, page 1
- ^ Retford News Friday 27 January 1967
- ^ Retford News Friday 23 February 1968, page 1
- ^ Cole, George; "A dash of creativity helps raise your game", Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 30 April 2012
- ^ "From Coronation Street to Cleethorpes via Los Angeles". Grimsby Telegraph. 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- ^ Retford News Friday 30 November 1979, page 9
- ^ Gainsborough Evening News Wednesday 9 September 1981, page 7
- ^ Retford News Friday 12 May 1972, page 8
- ^ Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph Friday 6 May 1988, page 7
- ^ Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph Tuesday 27 July 1993, page 9
- ^ Axholme Herald Thursday 29 July 1993, page 6
- ^ Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph Friday 15 July 1988, page 8
- ^ Star Pupils Revealed at Scunthorpe Telegraph Archived 2015-11-01 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 July 2016