Burscough Priory Academy is an
Academy
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...
in
Burscough
Burscough () is a town and civil parish in West Lancashire in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, England. It is located to the north of Ormskirk and northwest of Skelmersdale.
The parish also includes the hamlet of Tarlscough and the Martin ...
,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. It officially opened on 10 June 1958 as Burscough County Secondary School under the Headship of Brian Stone, and cost just over £120,000 to build. The then
Edward Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby
Edward John Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby, (21 April 1918 – 28 November 1994), styled Lord Stanley from 1938 to 1948, was a British peer, landowner and businessman.
Background and education
The eldest son of Lord Stanley and the Hon. Sibyl ...
(1918–1994) presided over the ceremony. At the time of opening, the school's staff of 10 teachers looked after 222 pupils.
The school's motto ''
E Pluribus Unum
''E pluribus unum'' ( , , ) – Latin for "Out of many, one" (also translated as "One out of many" or "One from many") – is a traditional motto of the United States, appearing on the Great Seal along with '' Annuit cœptis'' (Latin for "he ...
(Out of Many, One)'', which is also the motto of the United States, was thought to be appropriate as the new school was created from several all-age schools from around the area. The academy's intake is around 700 students and caters for 11-to 16-year-olds, with 90 members of staff.
History
Planning and construction
Several years prior to construction, a report commissioned by the Divisional Executive Education Committee accepted that Burscough had a "good case" for a secondary modern school "in the very early future". Skelmersdale also proposed a need for a new secondary modern school too, however existing provision in the area meant that the need in that area was not considered as pressing. Burscough's case was also considered a higher priority due to the situation at Skelmersdale having been alleviated upon them taking over Mission School, despite trustees being reassured that the takeover would not hinder hopes of a new school. A secondary modern for Burscough, with a proposed three-form entry, was put top of the list in Lancashire's building programme for the year 1954 to 1955.
Residents of Burscough in 1954 had expressed concern at the lack of educational facilities in the area and the surrounding outlying districts. Proposals to build the school had been included in the 1955-1956 building programme but in 1954, were relegated to the "reserve list". Despite this, proposals to build a new school in Burscough later passed and it was originally to be named Ormskirk Burscough County Secondary School, until protests by council representatives were successful in having the "Ormskirk" dropped from the title. Mr W A Dean, divisional education officer, explained the standard practice in prefixing "Ormskirk" to all schools located in the urban district. The eventual decision not to include Ormskirk in the school's name was the original recommendation approved by the Divisional Executive. Councillor Truscott expressed that the matter was of "great issue", particularly as the school was something the village had never had before. The original school was designed to educate a maximum of 300 students, but numbers rose to 450 before any extensions where added.
Operation
The school, which cost £120,000 to build, was designed to accommodate around 300 pupils and originally occupied of space, of which just over was developed into playing fields and sport facilities. The school building comprised a two-storey building with 8 classrooms and 6 practical rooms, amongst changing rooms, a kitchen and hall-gymnasium. It was among the first schools in Lancashire to be built under a new scheme designed to reorganise secondary education in rural locations. The first headteacher was Mr Brian H. Stone, then aged 33 who had previously served as a deputy headteacher at Huyton Secondary Modern School, having been there since 1950. The school, which had been open for instruction since January 1958, was officially opened in June 1958 by Lord Derby.
By 1961, the school was overcrowded and considerations were made with regards to catering provision, in particular limiting a school lunch offering only to those who lived farthest away. Efforts to secure additional classrooms had failed due to budget cuts by the government in the education service, with the stage and dining room among spaces in the school that were repurposed as classrooms. Headmaster Brian Stone noted at a prize-giving ceremony that cuts to education funding meant they had not been able to secure "the much needed extra classrooms". However in the following year, the school put out a
tender for the construction of two additional classrooms, also to include alterations to some existing buildings.
In 1967, there were plans to convert the school into a junior comprehensive school to cater for 11-14 year olds, which would have marked the end for the school as a secondary school. The proposals caused concern around the area, particularly at the prospect of children in Burscough needing to travel to Ormskirk, with over 1,200 Burscough parents signing a petition. Burscough councillor T. Tyrer noted that the "break in education at the age of 14" was not desirable and that the school was, at that time, less than ten years old with the necessary facilities and equipment to cater children up to the age of 16. A committee meeting in October 1967 had voted in favour of the school becoming a comprehensive school that could carer for students up to the age of 13 as an interim measure, with the expectation that from 14, students transfer to schools in Ormskirk. Other considerations were to convert the site into a primary school, while it was understood that significant extensions would be necessary if the decision to become a comprehensive school up to the age of 16 was decided. The uncertainty in the school's future meant that warning were issued about teachers who may seek appointments elsewhere, particularly if conversion to a primary school, which would have required "many adaptions" and wasted equipment, were to be realised. A petition during the latter part of 1967 collected around 1,200 signatures from those opposed to closing the school in its then present form. The school was later threatened with closure in 1969 under plans for comprehensive education, until a late reprieve in November 1969 due to an increase in pupil numbers.
Although small in size in comparison to other secondary comprehensive schools in
West Lancashire
West Lancashire is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. The council is based in Ormskirk, and the largest town in the borough is Skelmersdale. At the 2011 Census, the population of the borough was 110,68 ...
, the school has seen several expansions since its construction. As well as a ROSLA building being constructed in the early 1970s which facilitated the increase in capacity to 750 pupils, the school was also extended in 1976. It then became known as ''Burscough Priory High School''. During this time the roll expanded to over 800 pupils with the
comprehensive intake.
Brian Stone retired in July 1984 and Eric Cole took on the role of acting
headteacher
A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. In som ...
for the autumn term in 1984 until the appointment of Roger Leighton as headteacher in January 1985.
The school was later extended again with the construction of a
Performing Arts building, in response to gaining
specialist Science College
Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics
Mathemati ...
status. The school converted to an academy, sponsored by Endeavour Learning Trust from September 2018.
Buildings
![Burscough Priory School](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Burscough_Priory_School.JPG)
The school's four buildings link to form a single school, split across two halves with a sheltered corridor providing an indoor connection between them.
Original building
The original building is where the modern school entrance and main corridors are, including classrooms on the upper floor. This was the original school until it was extended in 1972 and 1976 for the
raising of school leaving age
The raising of school leaving age (ROSLA) is an act brought into force when the legal age a child is allowed to leave compulsory education increases. In most countries, the school leaving age reflects when young people are seen to be mature enough ...
and for the
comprehensive intake, respectively.
No extensive refurbishment has taken place in the original part of the school. A
gym
A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational i ...
nasium was built during the 1970s, when headteacher Brian Stone had the option to build a
swimming pool or a gymnasium, and chose the latter. The back of school also saw an extension of classrooms during the 1970s.
Lancashire County Council had suggested that recreational facilities planned to be included as part of the school's extensions programme in the early 1970s would only be on a "modest scale", despite a petition from angry Burscough residents who demanded better facilities.
The ROSLA Building
In 1972, a law was passed to increase the legal age at which a pupil could leave
compulsory education from 15 to 16. As with many schools around the country, a
ROSLA building was erected next the main school building, which is the first building seen upon entering the school premises. Upon opening in autumn 1972, it was described as having two laboratories, arts and crafts rooms and a fifth year centre.
Although intended to last for only around 15 years, the ROSLA building is still standing after years. It accommodates the
art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
and
SEN departments, as well as a pastoral support centre on the ground floor with a smaller secondary cafeteria adjoined to it. Extensive refurbishment took place in 2016, with the removal of asbestos and a full redecoration.
Science and Performing Arts building
In September 2004, the school changed its name to ''Burscough Priory Science College'' to reflect gaining
specialist school status in
Science
Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
. The science and
performing arts building was completed and in use in the same month, with the official opening occurring 8 months later on 25 May 2005, being named after the original headteacher as ''The Brian Stone Centre''. It accommodates the newly built science laboratories on the ground floor, as well as the upper floor music & performing arts departments, comprising 2 large music rooms, several practice rooms and a
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
studio.
This building was built on the location which housed the aging portable cabin classrooms.
Solar panels
In 2008, Burscough Priory was one of 100 schools through the United Kingdom to have been chosen to receive solar panels worth £20000, half funded by the
Co-op
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
's £1m ''Green Energy for Schools Scheme''. An LCD display in the school entrance displays the total energy generated by the panels since installation (including real-time generation) and also the amount of greenhouse gases which have been prevented from entering the atmosphere.
[Sun-thing to be pleased about!](_blank)
/ref>
Conversion to Academy
The DfE confirmed in late August 2018 that the conversion from Burscough Priory Science College to Burscough Priory Academy was finalised for 1 September 2018. This confirmed that the school would be joining and be sponsored by Endeavour Learning Trust.
Headmasters/headmistresses
* 1958-1984: Brian Stone
:Brian Stone was the first headteacher
A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. In som ...
at the school, then called Burscough County Secondary School, having been head of the mathematics department at Huyton-with-Roby County Secondary School. He had a staff of 10 teachers and the total number of pupils on roll was 222. Stone retired in July 1984 after 26 years as headteacher, and has since died. The New Science and Performing arts building was officially named the "Brian Stone Centre" in memory of Brian.
:Stone served in the R.A.F.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
as a radio mechanic. He graduated with a B.Sc at Nottingham University, gaining his teaching diploma in 1951. He was 33 years old when appointed to the position of headteacher.
* 1985-2009: Roger Leighton
:Roger Leighton became the second headteacher at Burscough Priory High School in January 1985, having overseen the school being awarded specialist status
Specialist schools in the United Kingdom (sometimes branded as specialist colleges in England and Northern Ireland) are schools with an emphasis or focus in a specific specialised subject area, which is called a specialism, or alternatively in t ...
in Science
Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
in June 2004 and once again changing its name to Burscough Priory Science College. Roger retired in the summer of 2009, having served as headteacher for 24 years.
* 2009–Present
:Since the departure of Roger Leighton in 2009, various headteachers have lead the school. The most recent is Mrs L MacLaren, appointed in January 2020.
Notable former pupils
* Craig Winrow, former Olympic and Commonwealth middle-distance runner
Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 1 ...
See also
*Burscough
Burscough () is a town and civil parish in West Lancashire in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, England. It is located to the north of Ormskirk and northwest of Skelmersdale.
The parish also includes the hamlet of Tarlscough and the Martin ...
*Burscough Priory
Burscough Priory, at Burscough, Lancashire, England, was an Augustinian foundation, established in around 1190 and dissolved in around 1536. Some remains of the church survive.
History
The priory was founded in c. 1190 by Robert Fitz-Henry, Lord ...
* Specialist school
References
External links
School website
{{authority control
Educational institutions established in 1958
Schools in the Borough of West Lancashire
Secondary schools in Lancashire
1958 establishments in England
Academies in Lancashire
Burscough