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28-772: ESF currently run six schools. The four original members of the ESF are: Emmanuel City Technology College in Gateshead (opened 1990), The King's Academy in Middlesbrough (2003), Trinity Academy in Thorne , Doncaster (2005) and Bede Academy in Blyth, Northumberland which opened in September 2009. In 2004, the Foundation's former chairman, Sir Peter Vardy , discussed an aim to sponsor seven schools in

56-457: A "diverse school system", and praised the teachers at Emmanuel College for their commitments to "deliver[ing] better results for our children". However, after re-inspecting the material used to teach science at Emmanuel College, Ofsted decided that the matter did not need to be pursued further. The next Ofsted inspection in 2006 described the school as 'Outstanding' and found no problem with its science provision. Some allegations centred on

84-659: A Channel 4 Dispatches programme titled " The New Fundamentalists ", alleging that their teachers had promoted creationism both in and out of class. However, a later article by Martin Wainwright , writing in The Guardian in December 2006, said that associating ESF's schools with creationism "couldn't be more wrong." Opponents of academies continued to refer to the original accusation. After Tribune magazine published such an article in 2009, Peter Vardy took legal action against

112-470: A Christian ethos, but are not faith schools and welcome staff and students of all faiths and of none. In 1988, Sir Peter Vardy responded to the then Government’s appeal to local businessmen to become involved in the education of young people in the most socio-economically deprived parts of their home regions through sponsorship of the City Technology College initiative. The aim of the initiative

140-562: A conference at The Sage Gateshead for the staff, including celebratory videos, musical entertainment from each of the schools, and keynote talks by author Gervaise Phinn and futurist Patrick Dixon, among others. In October 2010 it was announced that Sir Peter Vardy was handing over management of the schools to the United Learning Trust . The ESF schools were never integrated into the ULT network, however, and were ultimately later established as

168-561: A feeder school for Heathfield Senior School. The Breckenbeds site was redeveloped to provide additional capacity for 14-18 year old pupils that had previously studied at the defunct Heathfield Senior High School . The school closed as Breckenbeds in September 1996. The current school was formed in 1996 as a merger of the Breckenbeds Junior High and Heathfield Senior High schools, becoming the Joseph Swan School . In 2006,

196-500: A mixed, non-selective comprehensive school, perform significantly above all value-add measures and their academic results have placed the College amongst the highest ranked schools in England for the past ten years. A 2009 report on The King's Academy by Ofsted referred to many improvements, with the school officially ranked as "good, with many outstanding features". Inspectors said the academy

224-541: A multi-academy trust (MAT). In April 2019, ESF formally adopted Joseph Swan Academy in Gateshead , after its being rated inadequate in a 2018 Ofsted inspection, with Emmanuel College vice-principal Mark Hall taking over leadership of the school. Later in 2019, Christ's College Sunderland in Sunderland was also brought into the multi-academy trust, with Bede Academy's vice-principal Julie Roberts becoming its head. Emmanuel College claims that its students, taught as part of

252-563: A theory complemented by the theory of creationism (taught in RE lessons). This led to allegations by Richard Dawkins , John Polkinghorne , and others in 2002 that the school taught creationism in science lessons. In 2002, the Liberal Democrat MP Jenny Tonge asked Prime Minister Tony Blair if he was "happy to allow the teaching of creationism alongside Darwin's theory of evolution in state schools". Blair replied that he supported

280-418: A wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds but predominantly from the urban areas within Gateshead and Central and West Newcastle upon Tyne . The college was described by The Guardian in 2002 as achieving "consistently outstanding academic results", having received a "glowing" Ofsted report. By law, the school must admit pupils of mixed ability, according to a normal distribution representative of

308-695: The North of England that would educate a total of 10,000 students. In April 2019, the ESF also formally adopted Joseph Swan Academy in Gateshead into the foundation. Most recently, the foundation adopted Christ's College Sunderland (formerly 'Grindon Hall Christian School') in Sunderland into ESF. Many of its schools have been oversubscribed every year. Although the Government allows academies to select 10% of pupils by ability, ESF Academies do not do so, being fully comprehensive schools for local children. They have

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336-658: The board of creationist body Truth in Science to state a separation between his private views and the school's teaching of science. After reviewing the material used to teach science at Emmanuel College, Mike Tomlinson, chief inspector of Ofsted, decided that the matter did not need to be pursued further. The next Ofsted inspection in 2006 described the school as 'Outstanding' and found no problem with its science provision. In 2005, John Harris in The Guardian accused Emmanuel Schools Foundation of promoting fundamentalist Christianity . In 2006, Rod Liddle interviewed ex-pupils for

364-403: The college. Emmanuel is currently one of the three remaining City Technology Colleges in England as the remainder have converted to academies. Emmanuel has 1,553 students (340 of which in the sixth form) aged between 11 and 19, and over 160 staff. It is part of Emmanuel Schools Foundation and in each of its four Ofsted inspections it has achieved a status of "Outstanding". Students come from

392-428: The headteacher was Alan Fuller. Average annual enrolment is 1,300 pupils. The annual enrolment for year 2007/2008 is of 1460 pupils, including Sixth formers. As of March 2012, Joseph Swan School became Joseph Swan Academy . The school has a range of after school projects and activities. As of March 2007 the school has an operative Royal Artillery detachment part of Durham Army Cadet Force . The School Detachment

420-456: The magazine and its editor, who apologised, withdrew the allegations, and made an undisclosed payment to a nominated charity. Emmanuel City Technology College Emmanuel College is a secondary school and sixth form college (years 7-13) based in Gateshead , England. It was founded in 1990 as a City Technology College , i.e. a secondary school which is partly funded by donations from business donors who remain involved in management of

448-456: The school how many are to be taken from each category. Another condition is that two-thirds of places are given to students considered to be from the most socio-economically deprived wards within its catchment area , with the other third coming from other areas of the catchment area, ensuring a mix not only academically but socially too. In terms of Sixth Form admission, a reduced number of places available (130) are offered, with preference to

476-409: The school's former head of science, Steven Layfield, who had, prior to his taking up the post, publicly advocated the teaching of Intelligent Design in schools in 2000. In the academic year 2013–2014, former teacher of history Mr Daniel McQuoid (son of former principal Nigel McQuoid) engaged in gross misconduct with an 18-year-old student who had left the school; as a result, he resigned in 2014. It

504-521: The school's own Year 11 students. The school was at the centre of protests from scientists and educationalists when it was revealed that some members of the management team, including both the principal and the head of science, were sympathetic to Young Earth creationism and had allowed its hall to be rented by Answers in Genesis , an organisation which promotes such views. The school includes evolutionary science in its curriculum, but presents evolution as

532-527: The set of a James Bond movie where all the workers at the plant are focused on a task and have no time for frivolity." Furthermore, O'Duffy raised concerns about the nature of the Christian ethos claiming an over-emphasis on hell. Joseph Swan Academy Grace College (formerly Joseph Swan School, then Joseph Swan Academy) is a mixed secondary school with academy status situated in south Gateshead, England which educates pupils ages 11–18. The school

560-803: The site to create Trinity Academy in 2005. In September 2009 ESF also opened its fourth school, Bede Academy, which is its first covering the whole school age range of 3-18, with Nursery, Primary and Secondary provision across two sites in Blyth on the Northumberland coast. Specialising in Engineering and Enterprise, the school focuses on extending conventional perceptions of engineering by providing specialist insights into aspects of biotechnology, environmental science and recycling technologies, sound and computer network engineering, medical and animal science, and naval and automotive systems and design. In September 2009 it

588-509: The whole population. In common with other City Technology Colleges, Emmanuel College uses non-verbal reasoning tests set and marked by the National Foundation for Educational Research , a leading independent research organisation, to assess general intelligence, as opposed to prowess in literacy or mathematics. After marking, the NFER places test results into nine separate categories, and informs

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616-463: Was announced that David Wootton would join from the Grace Foundation to become ESF's first Chief Executive. In February 2010, the Foundation announced that Sir Peter Vardy was to step down as chairman, to be succeeded by his brother, David Vardy, who had previously been Project Director of the foundation, overseeing the building of the schools. The foundation celebrated its twentieth anniversary with

644-420: Was discharged of his position for disobeying an order from the then principal Nigel McQuoid for vocally voicing his concerns about the school; however, O'Duffy's union provided legal support and the case against him was dropped. During the interview, O'Duffy described the school as a place of 'eerie silence' and an institution of immense regulation: "With its quiet atmosphere, you might easily think you had entered

672-526: Was exceptional when it came to boosting students' personal development and well-being, and offering them care, guidance and support. In 2002, a group of leading scientists including Richard Dawkins alleged that creationism was taught in biology classes at Emmanuel College . Steven Layfield, the College's Head of Science and a Young Earth creationism activist, had held a lecture urging teachers to promote creationism to pupils, parents, and colleagues, including in science classes. Layfield later resigned from

700-631: Was formally established when The King's Academy was established in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough in 2003, as one of the earliest schools built under New Labour's academies programme. Vardy pledged to eventually build seven academies. The Foundation's approach was not universally welcomed, and in 2004 opponents blocked the Foundation's bid to take over Northcliffe School in Conisbrough , near Doncaster , which Ofsted had placed under special measures . Instead, it took over Thorne Grammar School and redeveloped

728-523: Was originally named after the English physicist and chemist, Sir Joseph Wilson Swan . In 2001, the school was awarded Specialist Technology College status. In April 2019, Joseph Swan Academy was taken over by Emmanuel Schools Foundation . As part of its transition into the ESF, it became known as Grace College from September 2019. Breckenbeds Junior High School was a secondary school on the current school site. The school taught pupils aged 11–14 and acted as

756-480: Was subsequently investigated by both the police and the National College for Teaching and Leadership, which found that there was no evidence of matters serious enough for either police prosecution or for him having any limitations on his ability to teach again. In 2003, former teacher of music Cormack O'Duffy painted a negative picture of the college during a discussion with TES journalist Michael Shaw. O'Duffy

784-862: Was twofold: The first ESF school, Emmanuel City Technology College , was founded in 1990 as Tyneside ’s City Technology College and opened with just 151 students in Year 7. John Burn (Headteacher of Long Benton) had been instrumental in persuading Peter Vardy to engage in the CTC programme. Originally specialising in Technology, the College was awarded a second specialism in Business and Enterprise (2005), allowing it to build upon its Beacon School and current Leading Edge Status through its extensive work in delivering specialist teaching programmes within Primary Schools. The foundation

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