Queen Katharine Academy

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Queen Katharine Academy
Address
Mountsteven Avenue

Peterborough
,
Cambridgeshire
,
PE4 6HX

England
Coordinates52°36′27″N 00°16′07″W / 52.60750°N 0.26861°W / 52.60750; -0.26861Coordinates: 52°36′27″N 00°16′07″W / 52.60750°N 0.26861°W / 52.60750; -0.26861
Information
TypeAcademy
Established2007
Local authorityPeterborough
TrustTDA Education Trust
SpecialistArts
Department for Education URN145051 Tables
OfstedReports
Principal[1]Mrs. Lynn Mayes[1][2]
GenderMixed
Age11 to 18
Enrolment1645
Websitehttp://www.qka.education/

The Queen Katharine Academy (formerly The Voyager Academy[3] and The Voyager School) is a secondary school with academy status in Peterborough in the United Kingdom. The school was formed in 2007 by the amalgamation of Walton Community School and Bretton Woods Community School.[4]

Development[]

The development of The Voyager School began in September 2003 when consultation began on the £100 million transformation of secondary schools in Peterborough. 4 schools were planned for the city and 7 schools would be refurbished or expanded.[5]

In 2004, the decision to create these new schools was given the green light, and the decision to close both Walton Community School and Bretton Woods Community School was decided. Both schools were to be merged to form The Voyager School, with £26 million of the investment being poured into the new school.[6]

Much consultation occurred between parents, students and members of the public involving the merging of the two schools and whilst at first there were several objections about closures, primarily from Bretton Woods School, many people came around to the idea of this new school.

In January 2005, the headteacher of TVS was announced at town hall, Mr Hugh Howe OBE. He would oversee the development and then become the headteacher when the school opened in September 2007. The Head, known for his turn-about of other new and failing schools felt the opportunity was an "exciting new challenge" and was "looking forward to taking up his role".[7]

In February 2005, the building contractor for what was known, at the time, as North School was being debated. Out of 3 possible candidates, the city decided on Bouygues Education/Mills group, a French company, well known for its educational building project, to begin construction in March '06.[8]

It was in March 2006 that The Voyager School launched its bid to become Peterborough's first Media Arts College. The bid offered local businesses the opportunity of helping the school achieve the £50,000 sponsorship necessary to draw on government funding of £1 million.[9]

The Voyager School's uniform was unveiled in June 2006, as students from both schools took to the catwalk to showcase the schools designs. The uniform focuses on the idea of "identity" as well as being in keeping with the approach to the establishment of the school and is characterized by flair, panache and innovation.[10]

As both schools began to work together through a series of "Mission Impossible" transition events to promote team building, leadership and innovate skills. The first of these in February '07 was used to create The Voyager School Senior Executive Group (SEG), a new form of student leadership within the school where a group of six students would work to create and manage the leadership scheme of The Voyager with Deputy Headteacher, Jane Mullan.[11]

After nearly a year of developing the proposal, The Voyager School finally achieved Media Arts Status in January–February 2007 before it had even opened following a successful application to the Department for Education and Skills.[12][13]

In the summer of 2016, it partnered up with the Thomas Deacon Academy eventually forming the Thomas Deacon Academy Education Trust.[14] In 2017, it announced a name change to Queen Katharine Academy.[3]

Operation[]

In September 2007, The Voyager School finally opened its doors to its students and staff, as well as the local community, ready to begin the adventure to go "above and beyond". With an emphasis on student leadership, it was the first school in the city to appoint students to the board of governors.

In 2008 the school received its first sets of results. The A-Level results showed good pass rates,[15] but only 23% of students achieved the benchmark of 5 GCSE passes at A*–C including English and mathematics.[16] A report in the Evening Telegraph suggested the school had been given 12 months to improve.[17]

However, the school's first Ofsted inspection in November 2008 noted several good features of the school, and stated that the school had created the effective management needed to overcome a legacy of low achievement at the predecessor schools.[18]

Notable former students[]

Notable people who studied at The Voyager school (and those merged to form it) include:

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Our Academy". The Queen Katharine Academy. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ a b "New name for troubled Peterborough school". Peterborough Telegraph. Peterborough Today. 18 April 2017. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Bouygue Development Plans". Bouygues UK. Archived from the original on 22 August 2007.
  5. ^ "Consultation Begins on Propose £100 Million Transformation Of City's Schools" (Press release). Peterborough City Council. 9 September 2003. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2007.
  6. ^ "Green light for £100 Million School reorganisation" (Press release). Peterborough City Council. 30 January 2004. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2007.
  7. ^ "Students Meet New Headteacher" (Press release). Peterborough City Council. 28 January 2005. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2007.
  8. ^ "Construction Begins on City's new schools" (Press release). Peterborough City Council. 14 March 2006. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  9. ^ "Voyagers Media Arts Bid Begins" (Press release). Peterborough City Council. 30 March 2006. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  10. ^ "Students take to the catwalk to unveil new Voyager School uniform" (Press release). Peterborough City Council. 22 June 2006. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  11. ^ "Voyager students embark on 'mission impossible' leadership challenge" (Press release). Peterborough City Council. 30 January 2007. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  12. ^ "Voyager School achieves media arts status" (Press release). Peterborough City Council. 1 February 2007. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  13. ^ "Specialist Status Information". The Voyager School. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
  14. ^ "Voyager Academy taken over by Thomas Deacon Academy Trust". www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk. Peterborough Telegraph. 5 January 2017. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  15. ^ "The Voyager Academy". GCE Achievement and attainment tables. Department for Children, Schools and Families. 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2009.[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ "The Voyager School". GCSE Achievement and attainment tables. Department for Children, Schools and Families. 2008. Archived from the original on 18 October 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  17. ^ Mehta, Asha (23 August 2008). "Struggling Voyager given 12 months to improve". The Evening Telegraph. Archived from the original on 24 September 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
  18. ^ The Voyager School, Office for Standards in Education.

External links[]

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