The Leigh Academy is a state funded academy for the

Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in ...

area of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

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 ...

. The Leigh Academy is part of Leigh Academies Trust whose

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

is Simon Beamish, who succeeded Frank Green, who was the principal of the school when it was designated a City Technology College from 1997 to 2007. Prior to 1997, the Leigh was called the Downs School.

History

Dartford East Secondary Modern School was built in the 1920s as two schools for boys and girls on both sides of Green Street Green Road on East Hill in Dartford. The name was changed to the Downs Secondary Modern School for Boys, and the Downs Secondary Girls School and then just The Downs. The girls school was rebuilt in the 1960s, by Howard Lobb and Partners for Kent County Council. Greenstraete indicates the site of an overgrown Roman road. The Leigh Academy occupies the former site of the Downs secondary school. In 1990 it became the Leigh City Technology College, when it opened as one of the original 15 City Technology Colleges. In September 2007, The Leigh became an academy. In May 2013, the Academy's Ofsted ratings were reduced from outstanding to good.

Academy

In January 2008 students and staff moved into the new school. The official opening of the academy took place on 20 June 2008 led by

Lord Coe Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, (born 29 September 1956), often referred to as Seb Coe, is a British politician and former track and field athlete. As a middle-distance runner, Coe won four Olympic medals, including 1500 metres gold medals ...

. The academy is split into five colleges: Shakespeare, Seacole, Curie, Mandela and Attenborough. Each College has its own Head of College and Assistant Head of College.

Leigh Academies Trust

The Leigh Academy is part of Leigh Academies Trust.

References

External links

* {{authority control Leigh City Technology College Dartford Secondary schools in Kent Academies in Kent Leigh Academies Trust Educational institutions established in 2007 2007 establishments in England