Unsworth Academy
Unsworth Academy (formerly Castlebrook High School) is a coeducational secondary school located in Unsworth, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England.[1]
| Unsworth Academy | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| |
| , England | |
| Information | |
| Type | Academy |
| Motto | "Inspire, Challenge, Excel" |
| Established | 1970 |
| Local authority | Bury |
| Trust | Shaw Education Trust |
| Department for Education URN | 143848 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Academy Principal | Mrs Sue Armstrong |
| Deputy Academy Principal | Mr Alex Fair |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 11 to 16 |
| Enrolment | 824 |
| Website | https://unsworthacademy.org.uk/ |
History
The school opened in September 1971 and was originally called Unsworth Comprehensive School. Its initial enrollment was 146 pupils. In 1983, the school merged with Whitefield High School (aka Albert Road) and was renamed Castlebrook High School.
Throughout 2006, along with several other schools in the wider Bury borough, it had been under a sustained threat of closure. It was believed that there will be 2,000 fewer high school pupils in Bury, so Bury Council wanted to close two high schools in the area. It was possible that Castlebrook would be amalgamated with nearby Philips High School, or that either Castlebrook or Philips will be closed.[2]
The school's GCSE results improved greatly over the next few years; with 61% of pupils achieving 5 A*-Cs in 2008, up to 76% in 2009 and to 80% in 2010, the highest the school has ever achieved.[3] However, in 2016, the school was deemed inadequate by Ofsted (The number of pupils attaining 5 GCSEs (including English and Maths) at grade A*-C in 2014 was below the national average.[4]
Previously a community school administered by Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, in February 2017 Castlebrook High School converted to academy status and was renamed Unsworth Academy. The school is now sponsored by the Shaw Education Trust
A new building for the school was started in January 2018 and was completed in 2019.
Intake and catchment
It has a wide-ranging catchment area with some pupils travelling from central Manchester or neighbouring Bury and Salford. Some even come from as far as Bolton.
Talent of the school
The school has been known for its great musical and theatrical ability and has staged many productions, musicals and musical, from Hobson's Choice, My Fair Lady, West Side Story and most recently in 2006 one of the first, if not the first, comprehensive school to perform the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. The school has also been known to create its own musicals and stage them themselves, for example in the year 2001 the school staged a production (musical) called Sold Out which was written by the performing arts staff of the school.
In 2017 Little Shop of Horrors was performed by the pupils of the school, with a sell out 2 of the 3 nights the show was performed.
Notable former pupils
- Alex Hargreaves
- Gemma Atkinson, former Hollyoaks actress and TV personality.
- Trevor Sinclair, former Manchester City and England footballer.
- David Ball, Rotherham United footballer.
- Warren Hegg, former England cricketer.
- Jodie Gibson, England Netball athlete. Gold medalist.
References
- https://unsworthacademy.org.uk/
- Schools facing axe by 2015 are named – News. Prestwich Advertiser. Retrieved on 2016-02-09.
- GCSE/KS4 Results 2015 Archived 2011-01-26 at the Wayback Machine. Castlebrook High School
- http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/105363
