Thistley Hough Academy

Thistley Hough Academy

Motto	My open eyes desire the truth.
Established	1938
Type	Community School
Principal	Mrs Holly Hartley
Location	Thistley Hough Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire ST4 5JJ England Coordinates: 53°00′00″N 2°12′08″W / 52.99989°N 2.20225°W / 52.99989; -2.20225
Local authority	Stoke-on-Trent
DfE URN	124441 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Students	931
Gender	Both
Ages	11–16
Publication	http://www.thistleyhough.org.uk/?cat=7
Website	http://www.thistleyhough.org.uk/

Thistley Hough Academy is a mixed community secondary school located in the village of Penkhull in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The school was built in 1938 as a school for girls but now caters for both girls and boys aged 11–16. It was originally housed in a classical Art Deco building.^[1] The old building has since been demolished and a new £15,000,000 school has been constructed. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new building took place in September 2011^[2] and was opened in May 2013 by the Chairman of Stoke City Football Club Peter Coates.^[3]

Identity

The academy’s motto is “my open eyes desire the truth”, which is adapted from the Alfred Lord Tennyson poem “Freedom”. The original line appears in the following stanza of the poem:

“Her open eyes desire the truth.

The wisdom of a thousand years
Is in them. May perpetual youth

Keep dry their light from tears;”

The motto was originally adopted in 1938 when the school first opened as a girls' grammar school, and was re-established as the school motto in 2012.

History

The school was first opened in 1938. The current academy colours - green and purple - date from the school's inception as a grammar school for girls. The first headmistress, Miss Bamber, was a member of the suffragette movement. Local pottery companies donated pieces of pottery for the school's reception area. The pottery is still displayed in the school library today.^[4]

House system

Thistley Hough has developed a house system linked into the pottery industry within Stoke-on-Trent. The four houses are:

Each house has a house captain who is responsible for overall control and organisation of house activities throughout the year. Houses compete throughout the year in various competitions from team building, sports, academic challenges and spelling bees. Houses are awarded points and every term the winning house is celebrated during a whole school assembly.

The school also operates a student leadership and prefect system. Student leaders and prefects are elected at the end of year ten and take part in several school activities in order to promote the key values and aims set out by the principal.

Admissions

At the start of each academic year, Thistley Hough has 140 places available for new year seven students.

Thistley Hough has adopted the ‘Admissions Criteria for Community Schools’ as determined by Stoke-on-Trent Education Service.

Children who are in the care of a local authority
Children who have older brothers or sisters at the school at the time that they will start.
Children who live nearest to the school as determined by a straight line measurement from the front door of the child’s home address to the main entrance of the school.

Uniform

There have been several variations in uniform since the school opened as a grammar school. Originally, a shirt, tie, mid-calf skirt and green blazer. This changed with the introduction of boys to the school, in the 1970s, due to changes in the education system (ad the resolution of the school tripartite system).

For the majority of Thistley Hough's recent past (under the names 'Trent Valley High School' and 'Thistley Hough High School') a black blazer, trouser/skirt and tie was worn (the tie embroidered with the particular colour that represents that student's year group).

Female students in years 7-11 now wear a purple blazer with grey stripes, emblazoned with the school badge, a white shirt, a school tie and either grey trousers or a knee-length grey skirt. A plain grey or purple Dupatta may also be worn.

Male students in years 7-11 wear a purple blazer with grey stripes, emblazoned with the school badge, a white shirt, a school tie and grey trousers.

In Year 11, students on the leadership team switch to a dark green blazer with the school badge on the pocket. This is to signify their role within school and allow their fellow students to recognise them.

Thistley Hough reunion group

The Thistley Hough Reunion group has been in place for a number of years and recently celebrated the last reunion meeting in the old building. There are five members of the reunion group who organise refreshments are parent's evenings, host events, assist with reading and assist the school whenever they can.

Notable Alumni

Neil Morrissey - actor

References

News items

External links

Schools in Staffordshire (including Stoke-on-Trent)

Primary	St Patrick's Catholic Primary School

Middle	Oldfields Hall Middle School Windsor Park Middle School

Secondary	Abbot Beyne School Alleyne's Academy Biddulph High School Birches Head Academy Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Sports College Blessed William Howard Catholic School Blythe Bridge High School Cannock Chase High School Cardinal Griffin Catholic High School Chase Terrace Technology College The Cheadle Academy Cheslyn Hay Sport & Community High School Chesterton Community Sports College Clayton Hall Academy Codsall Community High School The Co-operative Academy of Stoke-on-Trent The de Ferrers Academy Discovery Academy Endon High School Erasmus Darwin Academy Excel Academy Fair Oak Academy The Friary School Great Wyrley High School Hagley Park Academy Haywood Academy JCB Academy John Taylor High School King Edward VI School, Lichfield King Edward VI High School, Stafford The King's Church of England School Kingsmead School Kinver High School Landau Forte Academy Amington Landau Forte Academy QEMS Leek High School Moorside High School Nether Stowe School Newcastle Academy Norton Canes High School Ormiston Horizon Academy Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy Ounsdale High School Paget High School Painsley Catholic College Paulet High School The Rawlett School St John Fisher Catholic College St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy St Peter's Academy St Thomas More Catholic Academy Sandon High School Sir Graham Balfour School Sir Thomas Boughey High School Stafford Manor High School Staffordshire University Academy Tamworth Enterprise College Thistley Hough Academy Thomas Alleyne's High School Trentham High School University Academy Kidsgrove Walton High School Weston Road Academy Westwood College Wilnecote High School Wolgarston High School Wolstanton High School

Grammar	St Joseph's College

Special	Abbey Hill School Blackfriars Academy The Meadows School Shenstone Lodge School

Further education	Burton & South Derbyshire College Buxton & Leek College Landau Forte Academy Tamworth Sixth Form Moorlands Sixth Form College Newcastle-under-Lyme College South Staffordshire College Stafford College Stafford Collegiate

Independent	Abbotsholme School Abbots Bromley School Denstone College Lichfield Cathedral School Newcastle-under-Lyme School Stafford Grammar School St Dominic's High School for Girls St Dominic's Priory School

Independent (preparatory)	St Joseph's Preparatory School Vernon Lodge Preparatory School Yarlet School

Former	Berry Hill High School and Sports College Brewood Grammar School Edial Hall School Longton High School Mitchell High School

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