Retford Oaks Academy is a

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

secondary school 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 the market town of

Retford Retford (), also known as East Retford, is a market town in the Bassetlaw District in Nottinghamshire, England, and one of the oldest English market towns having been granted its first charter in 1105. It lies on the River Idle and the Chesterf ...

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The trad ...

, England, situated in the district of Bassetlaw.

Academic performance

The school has improved from a poor starting point since opening in 2003. The number of students achieving 5 or more A* to C grades at GCSE has risen from 20% in 2006 to 49% in 2011. The opening of the separate sixth form centre with The Elizabethan Academy, effectively operating as a sixth form college, has produced A level results above the England average.

Ofsted

Retford Oaks Academy was last inspected in July 2017, with the overall judgement being that it is a ‘good’ school. The report highlighted the steps that have been taken to ensure a positive, safe and successful learning experience for all students.

History

The school was established in 2003 with the amalgamation of two of the schools in Retford. His Royal Highness, The Duke of Kent formally opened the school in October 2008. In September 2009 the school was designated as a specialist sports college with its second subject being Mathematics. In September 2011 the school officially became

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 ...

as part of the Diverse Academies Trust.

Older schools: King Edward VI Grammar School and the Girls' High School

The King Edward VI School was on London Road. It was previously known as the King Edward VI Grammar School and the oldest part of the school buildings (opened in August 1857) was designed by Decimus Burton. The Grammar School magazine was called ''The Retfordian''. The school motto was ''Ex Pulvere Palma''. In later years the school's senior houses were Edward, Foljambe, Gough, and Overend. The junior houses were Bescoby, Darrell, Laycock, and Mason (all named after school benefactors). The school usually traced its original foundation back to Thomas Gunthorpe of Babworth in 1519 although there are references to a still earlier school in the town. It was refounded around 1551 during the reign of King Edward VI. It subsequently had a chequered history, twice coming close to collapse during the 19th century. The school accepted boarders from at least the 17th century onwards, but the last boarders left in 1938. During the Second World War a number of boys from the Great Yarmouth Grammar School were evacuated to Retford (from 1940 to 1944), and were taught in classrooms at King Edward VI Grammar School. Headmasters of King Edward VI Grammar School ?1551 Rev. Christopher Say, LL.B., Jesus College, Cambridge 1588 Rev. George Turvyn, MA, MA, Trinity College, Cambridge ''

r George Turvin R, or r, is the eighteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ar'' (pronounced ), plural ''ars'', or in Irela ...

' ?1605 Rev Thomas Cooper, MA, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge 1628 Rev. Nicholas Dickons, MA, Pembroke College, Cambridge ''

r Nicholas Dickens R, or r, is the eighteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ar'' (pronounced ), plural ''ars'', or in Irela ...

' 1638 Thomas Stacey, MA, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge 1642 Rev. Thomas Dand, MA, Trinity College, Cambridge 1669 Robert Pinchbeck. 1670 Henry Boawre, MA, St John's College, Cambridge '' r Henry Boare/Henry Bower' 1702 Rev. Thomas Moore, St John's College, Cambridge 1708 Rev. Henry Stevenson 1748 Rev. Seth Ellis Stevenson, MA, Peterhouse, Cambridge ''A diary kept by Seth Ellis Stevenson between 1752-55 survives in Wigan Archives. Another diary from 1760-77 is in Nottingham University Library.'' 1793 Rev. William Tyre, MA, Pembroke College, Oxford 1801 Rev. William Mould, MA, Peterhouse, Cambridge 1838 Rev. William Henry Trentham, MA, St John's College, Cambridge ''Trentham resigned and died in 1842. From 1842-47 no headmaster was appointed, although the usher, James Holderness, continued to teach a few pupils'' 1847 Rev. John Henry Brown, MA, Trinity College, Cambridge (later headmaster of

Brewood Grammar School Brewood Grammar School was a boys' school in the village of Brewood in South Staffordshire, England. Founded in the mid 15th century by the Bishop of Lichfield as a chantry school it was closed by the Dissolution of Chantries Act 1547. It was ...

, Staffordshire) ''Following Brown's departure, no headmaster was appointed between 1850-57. Henry Clarke Mitchinson, the usher and sole remaining teacher, was acting headmaster, but his alleged harshness in corporal punishment led to various complaints and to an eventual court case.'' 1857 Rev. Jonathan Page Clayton, MA, Caius College, Cambridge 1866 Rev. Edward Swinden Sanderson, MA, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge 1870 Rev. Frederick Richard Pentreath, MA, DD, Worcester College, Oxford 1873 Rev. Alfred John Church, MA, Lincoln College, Oxford 1880 Rev. Oliver Carter Cockrem, MA, LLD, Trinity College, Dublin 1886 Rev. Thomas Gough, BSc, FGS, London University ''Gough was formerly headmaster of Elmfield College, York. Historian A D Grounds commented that "he may with justice be called the school's second founder".'' 1919 Charles Roland Skrimshire, MA, Merton College, Oxford 1926 Charles William Pilkington-Rogers, MA, BSc., Queens’ College, Cambridge 1950 John Charles Havelock Gover, MA, Emmanuel College, Cambridge c1972 Tom Savage c1978 Michael Allen After amalgamating with the Sir Frederick Milner Secondary School in 1979, the new establishment was known simply as the King Edward VI School until the eventual second merger into the Oaks School. Earlier there was also Retford High School for Girls on ''Pelham Road'' – a Girls' grammar school.

Previous schools up to 2003

Before 1979, the former Sir Frederick Milner Secondary School (an all-male

secondary modern school A secondary modern school is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Schools of this type continue in Northern Ireland, where they are usuall ...

) was on ''Pennington Walk'', with around 500 boys, in the east of the town. This became part of the King Edward VI School, a

voluntary controlled school A voluntary controlled school (VC school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a Christian denomination) has some formal influence in the running of the school. Such schools have less autonomy tha ...

, and was used as the sixth form site prior to the new Post-16 centre being opened in 2007. The former site will become residential properties. Sir Frederick Milner was the Conservative MP from 1890 to 1906 for Bassetlaw. The former Retford Oaks School was on a site towards Ordsall near th
former
leisure centre, which was the former Ordsall Hall School on ''Ordsall Road'' (now the Post-16 Centre). This merged with the King Edward VI School in 2003 forming the current school.

Regeneration

Similar to five other schools in Bassetlaw (two in

Worksop Worksop ( ) is a market town in the Bassetlaw District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is located east-south-east of Sheffield, close to Nottinghamshire's borders with South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, on the River Ryton and not far from th ...

and one in

Tuxford Tuxford is a historic market town and a civil parish in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 2,516, increasing to 2,649 at the 2011 census. Geography Nearby towns are Ollerton, Ret ...

Bircotes Bircotes is an area in the civil parish of Harworth Bircotes (with Harworth) in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the border with South Yorkshire. The population of the civil parish was 7,948. The local school in the area is ...

and

The Elizabethan High School The Elizabethan Academy is a secondary school with academy status located in the Nottinghamshire market town of Retford, England. It is situated to the north of Retford town centre, to the east of the A638, on the side of the River Idle once k ...

in Retford), the school underwent an extensive rebuilding programme under PFI funding. It wa
not possible
to develop the King Edward VI Schoo

as a Post-16 Centre (even though the county council wanted to), because the county council did not own the property so an entirely new site wa
built
on ''Babworth Road''. This site is for ages 11–16. On the former Ordsall Hall site, a ne
leisure centre
was built (nextdoor) in January 2008 and a separate Post-16 (sixth form) Centre was built in September 2007, when the 11–16 site opened as well. Worksop has also had a new sixth form (and leisure centre) built under the same PFI contract.

Notable former pupils

King Edward VI School

* JS Clayden, vocalist for British musical group

Pitchshifter Pitchshifter are an English industrial rock band from Nottingham, formed in 1989. The band was started by lead guitarist and programmer Johnny A. Carter, and bassist and vocalist Mark Clayden. The band’s early material was characterized for ...

, founder of PSI Records

King Edward VI Grammar School

Groupe 161 de Tangmere 1943 Lysander 5594

Anthony Barber Anthony Perrinott Lysberg Barber, Baron Barber, (4 July 1920 – 16 December 2005) was a British Conservative politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1970 to 1974. After serving in both the Territorial Army and the Royal A ...

, Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1970 to 1974 and Conservative MP *

Wing Commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

Edward Barton CBE, electronic engineer and chief signals and radar officer of the RAF Pathfinder Force, helped to develop the

Oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

navigation system *

John Hedley Brooke John Hedley Brooke (born 1944) is a British historian of science specialising in the relationship between science and religion. Biography Born on 20 May 1944, Brooke is the son of Hedley Joseph Brooke, and Margaret Brooke, née Brown. He was edu ...

, historian of science * Dr Michael Clark, Conservative MP *

Doc Cox Robert Doc Cox (born 1 July 1946), also known as Ivor Biggun, is a British musician and former television journalist. He is known for his appearances on the BBC TV programme ''That's Life!'' from 1982 to 1992 and for four albums of humorous, smu ...

, musician and former television journalist *

John Glasby John Stephen Glasby (23 September 1928 – 5 June 2011) was a British author born in East Retford in Nottinghamshire whose work spanned a range of popular genres. A professional research chemist and mathematician,Robert M. Price, "About ''The ...

, writer * Sir Stuart Goodwin, industrialist and philanthropist * Dick Herrick, Anglican priest *

Frank Fairbairn Laming Frank Fairbairn Laming (24 August 1908 – 3 June 1989) was an Anglican priest in the 20th century. He was born on 24 August 1908 and educated at Durham University and Edinburgh Theological College and ordained in 1937. His first post was as As ...

, Anglican priest * Jim McCairns pilot * Samuel Milner, physicist * Air Marshal Sir Alec Morris KBE, CB, Chief Engineer from 1981 to 1983 of the

RAF 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 ...

* John Pater CB, civil servant largely responsible for creating the

NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

(England and Wales) in 1948 *

Ian Robinson Ian Robinson may refer to: *Ian Robinson (Australian football umpire) (born 1946), Australian Football League umpire active in the 1970s and 1980s *Ian Robinson (Australian politician) (1925–2017), Australian MP *Ian Robinson (author) (1937–202 ...

, literary critic and English lecturer * John Taylor, publisher, essayist, and writer * Sir Lionel Thompson CBE, Deputy Master and Comptroller of the Royal Mint from 1950 to 1957 * John Warham, photographer * Joe Wright CMG, UK Ambassador from 1975–78 to Ivory Coast, Upper Volta and

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesDerek Randall Derek William Randall (born 24 February 1951) is an English former cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire, and Tests and ODIs for England in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Known to cricketing colleagues and fans as "A ...

, England cricketer *

Tim Stockdale Timothy Mark Stockdale (12 August 1964 – 14 November 2018) was an English equestrian who competed in the sport of show jumping. Early life Stockdale grew up in Retford in north Nottinghamshire. He attended the Sir Frederick Milner Secondary M ...

, equestrian and show-jumperHorse and Hound October 2000
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References

External links

Retford Oaks High School

PE Dept

Old Retfordian

EduBase

King Edward VI School photo

News items

Attack in August 2006

{{Authority control Educational institutions established in 2003 Secondary schools in Nottinghamshire People educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Retford Retford Academies in Nottinghamshire King Edward VI Schools 2003 establishments in England