David Nieper Academy is a co-educational

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

and

sixth form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...

located in

Alfreton Alfreton ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire, England. The town was formerly a Norman Manor and later an Urban District. The population of the Alfreton parish was 7,971 at the 2011 Census. The villages of Ir ...

in the

English county The counties of England are areas used for different purposes, which include administrative, geographical, cultural and political demarcation. The term "county" is defined in several ways and can apply to similar or the same areas used by each ...

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

. It is the first school in Derbyshire to be sponsored by a local business. It is the 7th most oversubscribed school in Derbyshire.

Performance

The academy is currently underperforming compared to local and national schools. Its Progress 8 score is "Below Average" at -0.34. Only 7% of students were entered for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) in the 2022-23 year, compared to 30% in the local authority and 39% nationally. The percentage of students that achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs was also lower than the national average, at 22% compared to 45%. This dropped to only 10% for disadvantaged pupils. Of the 133 pupils entered in 2022-23, 7 spoke English as a second language. In 2021, 84% of pupils stayed in education or training for at least two terms after

Key Stage 4 Key Stage 4 (KS4) is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate GCSEs, and other examinations, in maintained schools in England normally known as Year 10 and Year 11, when pupils are aged between 14 and 16 by August 31. ...

, which is lower than the average of 94% in England. The academy was rated as "Good" by

Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a Non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial department of Government of the United Kingdom, His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament of the U ...

in 2022, after having been rated as "Requires Improvement" in 2019. The 2019 report noted that pupils did not make good progress, especially SEND pupils, but praised the efforts of Headteacher Kathryn Hobbs and the leadership team. The 2022 report showed that this had been improved upon, saying the provision for vulnerable students was a strength, and still had good safeguarding, and leadership, but that PSHCE needed better implementation.

History

First Opening

The school first opened on 16 March 1939, by Alderman W. Mortimer Wilson, MA, whose name went on to be borne by the school for close on 70 years. The school opened as a non-selective establishment with two separate schools within, the boys and girls being educated separately. The first headmaster of the boys' school was Wilfred Dawes and the headmistress of the girls' school was Miss Cresswell. After the

Second World War 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 opposin ...

four houses were introduced named Brindley, Nightingale, Royce and Stephenson. Originally in 1939 it was named "Alfreton Central Elementary School", and in 1944 it became known as "Alfreton Secondary Modern School".

Comprehensive School status

The school became a comprehensive in the late 1960s. Miss Cresswell then retired and Mr Dawes took full control of the school. During his time as headmaster the school was recognised as a modal for the comprehensive system. In recognition of his achievements, Wilfred Dawes was appointed

O.B.E. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

for his services to Education. He was a strong

Socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

and supporter of the comprehensive system. He retired in 1974.

Arts College Status

The school gained specialist Arts College status in 2008 and was renamed Alfreton Grange Arts College.http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/files/2284633/urn/112931.pdf On 22, July 2013, the headteacher, Gail Giles was suspended pending investigation from the governing body. Then two months later in September 2013 the school was deemed inadequate by

and the school was placed into special measures.

Academy status

Previously a community school administered by

Derbyshire County Council Derbyshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Derbyshire, England. It has 64 councillors representing 61 divisions, with three divisions having two members each. They are Glossop and Charlesworth, ...

, in September 2016 Alfreton Grange Arts College converted to academy status and was renamed "David Nieper Academy". In preparation for the conversion, In April 2016, Kathryn Hobbs was named the new Headteacher of the school. In 2017, the new purpose-built £15 million building was opened, and all site work was completed in 2019 by VolkerFitzpatrick Construction, after collapse of construction firm

Carillion Carillion plc was a British multinational construction and facilities management services company headquartered in Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom, prior to its liquidation in January 2018. Carillion was created in July 1999, following a ...

. In 2022, the academy applied for planning permission for an outdoor seating canopy as it had grown quicker than expected, and the building could not accommodate all students at once.https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/new-15m-derbyshire-school-needs-7106819 In September 2023, Richard White was announced as the new Headteacher, following the expansion of the Christopher Nieper Education Trust to include Stonebroom Primary And Nursery School and the Kathryn Hobbs moving to work in other areas of the trust after 7 years as headteacher.

Notable former pupils

* Joe Bennett - Vice President for Academic Affairs at

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

Niamh Emerson Niamh Emerson (born 22 April 1999) is an English heptathlete from Shirland, Derbyshire. In April 2018, Emerson competed in the heptathlon in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, where she came third, winning the bronze medal fo ...

- Olympic Athlete

References

External links

* {{authority control Educational institutions established in 1939 1939 establishments in England Secondary schools in Derbyshire Alfreton Academies in Derbyshire