Sponne School
Encyclopedia
Sponne is the oldest secondary school in Northamptonshire, and one of the oldest in the country.
Part of the school was originally Towcester Grammar School, until Grammar schools were abolished in Northamptonshire. In 1968, the Grammar school was joined with the next-door Secondary Modern school, and the school was re-named Sponne, after Archdeacon William Sponne, who was Rector at the nearby St. Lawrence Church in the 15th Century and the original founder of the school.
Sponne School is a mixed gender Secondary School and Sixth Form College, with 1236 students on the roll, around 200 of whom are in the 6th Form. It is registered as a specialist science and music acadamy. The current head teacher is Jamie Clarke. In October 2007, the school became a "Foundation" school and in November 2009, changed to Trust school status. Since October 2010, the school has started a consultation process and has been approved to become an Academy
.
The Sponne School time-table is run on a two week rota, blue week and red week, due to of the two colours of the schools badge.
On the right end of the school is the Sports Hall and changing rooms, located opposite the E Block.
There are two residential houses in the school; they both used to be occupied by the care-takers. The house at the front of school is now the GUTP office. There is also a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) field at the back of the school. It is repainted in the summer and the winter with two football
pitches, a hockey pitch, 2 rugby
pitches, a 400 m track and a 100 m track. It also has two long jump sandpits, and 2 discus
circles.
Adjacent to the field is a set of tennis
courts.
offspin bowler Graeme Swann
attended the school between 1990 and 1997. Swann's older brother, Alec
, also a first class cricketer for Lancashire
, was at the school between 1988 and 1995. His father Raymond
, who had previously played cricket for Northumberland
and Bedfordshire
, was a Mathematics and P.E. teacher at the school.
The Aston Villa
attacking midfielder Harry Forrester
, who is currently on loan at Scottish club Kilmarnock
, attended the school between 2003 and 2008.
Part of the school was originally Towcester Grammar School, until Grammar schools were abolished in Northamptonshire. In 1968, the Grammar school was joined with the next-door Secondary Modern school, and the school was re-named Sponne, after Archdeacon William Sponne, who was Rector at the nearby St. Lawrence Church in the 15th Century and the original founder of the school.
Sponne School is a mixed gender Secondary School and Sixth Form College, with 1236 students on the roll, around 200 of whom are in the 6th Form. It is registered as a specialist science and music acadamy. The current head teacher is Jamie Clarke. In October 2007, the school became a "Foundation" school and in November 2009, changed to Trust school status. Since October 2010, the school has started a consultation process and has been approved to become an Academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
.
The Sponne School time-table is run on a two week rota, blue week and red week, due to of the two colours of the schools badge.
Physical layout
- The staff room, main reception and senior staff offices are in the centre of the school. Students are no longer permitted to enter unless directed by staff.
- C Block - Consists of most of the artArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
rooms, a computer room and senior staff offices. - D Block - Design and Technology block, including 5 computer rooms, 3 workshops, 2 kitchens and 2 textiles rooms.
- T Block - Not actually a block but a series of mobiles, used for humanitiesHumanitiesThe humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, dramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, and music. T2, T3, T4 and T5 mobiles are situated next to S block. The T1 mobile is an extension teaching room with electronic keyboards for the M block. - E Block - The ground floor is where the 6th form common room is, along with some social sciences rooms and 1 computer room. The 1st floor is used to teach languages, such as French and German. The 3rd floor is dedicated to MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. One room, E40, resides halfway between the second and third floors. This is a computer room and in 2008 was re-assigned from the ICT faculty to the Mathematics faculty. - H Block - This is the main hall.
- M Block - Until September 2006, separate from the rest of the School. It contains most of the MusicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
classrooms. It has been extended with more rooms and a Practise hall to accommodate more students
On the right end of the school is the Sports Hall and changing rooms, located opposite the E Block.
- S Block - Used for all the ScienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
Subjects. Also used as an introduction area for primary school children moving up to Sponne. The one way system to this building has been recently changed. - W Block - The old Grammar School building, rebuilt in 1928 after a fire. This area is for HumanitiesHumanitiesThe humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, EnglishEnglish studiesEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, Business StudiesBusiness studiesBusiness studies is an academic subject taught at higher level in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, as well as at university level in many countries...
and DramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
. The front section of the block is a grade 2 listed building. - HLRC - Hesketh Learning Resource Centre, technically part of the C block. It is a library containing computers, books, newspapers and desks for students to work. It is managed by employed library staff. Some students help out in the library, and in return, are awarded with credits.
There are two residential houses in the school; they both used to be occupied by the care-takers. The house at the front of school is now the GUTP office. There is also a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) field at the back of the school. It is repainted in the summer and the winter with two football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
pitches, a hockey pitch, 2 rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
pitches, a 400 m track and a 100 m track. It also has two long jump sandpits, and 2 discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
circles.
Adjacent to the field is a set of tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts.
Media attention
Sponne was one of the first schools in Britain to switch its dietary policies following celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's anti–obesity TV campaign. In July 2006, William Guntrip (13), set up a playground sweet shop to counteract what he considered to be 'overpriced health food'. Mr Guntrip was taking more than £50 a day, selling chocolate bars and fizzy drinks to other pupils during break times. He was allegedly threatened with expulsion and the story was picked up by the national media.Sixth form
Sponne School offers a Sixth Form for students in Year 12 and 13. The sixth form provides A-Level grade education and provides the same courses as a sixth form college. Uniform is not a factor for Sixth Form students; they may wear their own clothes. In Year 12, students may choose up to 5 AS Level subjects to study. The school holds a sixth form open evening for both internal and external candidates and provides prospective students with choice application forms. The subjects differ slightly from GCSE level and the school offers an extended range of courses, including psychology and health/social care. Students can stay on a second year as long as they earn a minimum of 60 UCAS points from their AS results. Students can then continue to work towards gaining points for university entry. At the end of year 12, students generally drop one subject; the majority of year 13 students take 3 subjects on to A2 level. Sixth form classes are much smaller than standard secondary school lessons, allowing teachers to provide a more in depth level of teaching.Famous students
England international and NottinghamshireNottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
offspin bowler Graeme Swann
Graeme Swann
Graeme Peter Swann is an English international cricketer. He is primarily a right-arm offspinner, and also bats right-handed. After initially playing for his home county Northamptonshire, for whom he made his debut in 1997, he moved to Nottinghamshire in 2005. He often fields at slip...
attended the school between 1990 and 1997. Swann's older brother, Alec
Alec Swann
Alec James Swann is a former English cricketer who played for Northamptonshire and Lancashire in county cricket. A right hand batsman, he scored 3,305 first-class runs including eight centuries...
, also a first class cricketer for Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
, was at the school between 1988 and 1995. His father Raymond
Raymond Swann
Raymond Swann is a former English cricketer. Swann was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace. He was born at Stannington, Northumberland....
, who had previously played cricket for Northumberland
Northumberland County Cricket Club
Northumberland County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northumberland and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
and Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire County Cricket Club
Bedfordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Bedfordshire and competing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy. The Minor Counties play three-day...
, was a Mathematics and P.E. teacher at the school.
The Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
attacking midfielder Harry Forrester
Harry Forrester (footballer)
Harry Lee Forrester is an English footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Brentford. He has also been capped at youth level for England and was on trial at Ajax but rejected them to join Brentford on a free transfer....
, who is currently on loan at Scottish club Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
, attended the school between 2003 and 2008.
Head teachers
- 2003-Present DayPresent dayThe term "present day" is used to describe the approximate period of time that surrounds the present. Depending on the context, this period may be as narrow as referring to the immediate moment, or as broad as referring to the current year or decade...
Jamie Clarke - 1991-2003 Ian Brown
- 1969-1991 John Mayes
- 1960-1969 Jack Searle
- 1955-1960 Mr Beacock
- 1920-1955 P.G.F.Clark
- 1890-1920 John Wetherell
External links
- Sponne School Technology College Website
- Chronology of Towcester Grammar School - Towcester and District Local History Society web site.