Grace College (formerly Joseph Swan School, then Joseph Swan Academy) is a mixed secondary school with academy status situated in south

Gateshead, England Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Millennium Bridge, The Sage, and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary A ...

which educates pupils ages 11–18. The school was originally named after the English physicist and chemist, Sir

Joseph Wilson Swan Sir Joseph Wilson Swan FRS (31 October 1828 – 27 May 1914) was an English physicist, chemist, and inventor. He is known as an independent early developer of a successful incandescent light bulb, and is the person responsible for devel ...

. In 2001, the school was awarded Specialist Technology College status. In April 2019, Joseph Swan Academy was taken over by

Emmanuel Schools Foundation The Emmanuel Schools Foundation (ESF) is a charitable trust which has been involved in education since 1989. ESF currently run six schools. The four original members of the ESF are: Emmanuel City Technology College in Gateshead (opened 1990), Th ...

and Mark Hall became principal of the academy. As part of its transition into the ESF, it became known as Grace College from September 2019.

About

It was formed in 1996 as a merger of the Breckenbeds Junior High and Heathfield Senior High schools. In 2006, the headteacher was Alan Fuller. Average annual enrolment is 1,300 pupils. The annual enrolment for year 2007/2008 is of 1460 pupils, including Sixth formers. As of March 2012, Joseph Swan School became Joseph Swan Academy. The school has a range of after school projects and activities. As of March 2007 the school has an operative

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

detachment part of

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

Army Cadet Force The Army Cadet Force (ACF), generally shortened to Army Cadets, is a national youth organisation sponsored by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence and the British Army. Along with the Sea Cadet Corps and the Air Training Corps, the ACF m ...

. The School Detachment is part of 5th Platoon in B Company. As well as the

detachment, the school is host to the Academy Band of the Band and Bugles of

which welcomes musicians aged 12–18. In April 2019, Joseph Swan Academy joined the

. As part of the school joining ESF, it has been renamed Grace College.

Notable former pupils

Breckenbeds Junior High

Paul Gascoigne Paul John Gascoigne (, born 27 May 1967), nicknamed Gazza, is an English former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is described by the National Football Museum as "widely recognised as the most naturally tale ...

John Wilson John Wilson may refer to: Academics * John Wilson (mathematician) (1741–1793), English mathematician and judge * John Wilson (historian) (1799–1870), author of ''Our Israelitish Origin'' (1840), a founding text of British Israelism * John Wil ...

, conductor

Joseph Swan School / Academy

Andy Carroll Andrew Thomas Carroll (born 6 January 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Championship side Reading. He has played in the Premier League and English Football League for Newcastle United, Preston North End, Liv ...

* Hayden Coulson *

Scott Fenwick Scott James Fenwick (born 9 April 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Consett. He played in the Football League for Hartlepool United and for League of Ireland club Cork City. Club career Early career ...

* Liam Henderson

References

External links

*
Ofsted Reports
{{authority control Secondary schools in Gateshead Academies in Gateshead Emmanuel Schools Foundation