Thomas Lord Audley School and Language College
Encyclopedia
Thomas Lord Audley School and Language College is a mixed 11-16 comprehensive school for 700 pupils, to the south of Colchester
, Essex
. It serves a wide and diverse catchment area, taking students from the edge of Colchester, small villages (such as Rowhedge and Fingringhoe) and the community of Mersea Island
. The school building is modern, with single, double and three-storey accommodation set in pleasant grounds with hard play areas and a playing field. There are seven Science laboratories and six Technology Suites, fourteen interactive whiteboard
classrooms all linked to the internet
. The PE facilities include a Sports Hall, Fitness Suite and Gymnasium, there are new drama and music facilities and a new suite of modern language rooms.
and was renamed Thomas Lord Audley School.
It is named after Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden
, (1488-1544) who was Town clerk of Colchester; later he was Speaker
of the House of Commons
and Lord Chancellor
to King Henry VIII of England
. He built the first house at Audley End.
In 2008, there was a proposal by Essex County Council to merge the school with Alderman Blaxill School
in a new Academy, but the idea was abandoned after a vigorous campaign led by the local Member of Parliament
.
This school has struggled in the past,but under the leadership of its new head Jonathan Tippett, who is never available to talk to and doesn't have the courtesy to reply to letters (nor does the Chair of Governors) has made great strides,both in the scholastic performance of its pupils and in their behaviour. However, bullying, fighting, foul language and Cyberbullying are not dealt with suitably. Parents are now choosing this school rather than merely accepting it as an outcome for their children, and this is reflected in the improved results and rising pupil numbers.
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. It serves a wide and diverse catchment area, taking students from the edge of Colchester, small villages (such as Rowhedge and Fingringhoe) and the community of Mersea Island
Mersea Island
Mersea Island is the most easterly inhabited island in the United Kingdom, located marginally off the coast of Essex, England, to the southeast of Colchester. It is situated in the estuary area of the Blackwater and Colne rivers and has an area of around...
. The school building is modern, with single, double and three-storey accommodation set in pleasant grounds with hard play areas and a playing field. There are seven Science laboratories and six Technology Suites, fourteen interactive whiteboard
Interactive whiteboard
An interactive whiteboard , is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device...
classrooms all linked to the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. The PE facilities include a Sports Hall, Fitness Suite and Gymnasium, there are new drama and music facilities and a new suite of modern language rooms.
History
Originally Monkwick Secondary Modern School, which opened in 1958, when classes from Wilson Marriage school moved to Greyfriars, East Hill. It moved in 1960 to new buildings in Monkwick Avenue, which were enlarged in 1974 and in 1979. In 1975 it became a comprehensive schoolComprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
and was renamed Thomas Lord Audley School.
It is named after Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden
Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden
Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden, KG, PC, KS , Lord Chancellor of England, born in Earls Colne, Essex, the son of Geoffrey Audley, is believed to have studied at Buckingham College, Cambridge...
, (1488-1544) who was Town clerk of Colchester; later he was Speaker
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
of the House of Commons
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
and Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
to King Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. He built the first house at Audley End.
In 2008, there was a proposal by Essex County Council to merge the school with Alderman Blaxill School
Alderman Blaxill School
Alderman Blaxill School is a secondary school in Colchester, Essex, and is the town's smallest secondary school.-History:The site was developed as Hamilton Road Central School in 1914, but was used as a military hospital during World War I, and did not open until 1920. Following the Education Act...
in a new Academy, but the idea was abandoned after a vigorous campaign led by the local Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
See also
- List of schools in Essex
This school has struggled in the past,but under the leadership of its new head Jonathan Tippett, who is never available to talk to and doesn't have the courtesy to reply to letters (nor does the Chair of Governors) has made great strides,both in the scholastic performance of its pupils and in their behaviour. However, bullying, fighting, foul language and Cyberbullying are not dealt with suitably. Parents are now choosing this school rather than merely accepting it as an outcome for their children, and this is reflected in the improved results and rising pupil numbers.