Academy - converter mainstream school in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England
The Robert Smyth Academy is a secondary school in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England, for 11- to 19-year-olds. It is situated in the north of the town, on Burnmill Road, close to St Luke's Hospital.
History
Around 1570, Robert Smyth, from the town, walked to London. By 1598, he had become comptroller of the City of London. In 1607 he founded Market Harborough Grammar School. The building still exists in the Market Place. For the first 150 years, it was only open to boys who were of the Anglican faith. In 1909, Leicestershire County Council built a new school, called the County Grammar School of Edward VII, on the present location on Burnmill Road. In 1944, the school fees were stopped and it became known as Market Harborough Grammar School. In 1978, it became Robert Smyth School, and in 2011, it became Robert Smyth Academy
It used to be known as Market Harborough Upper School, being one of the few remaining upper schools in England.
With around 117 staff and 1109 pupils, it provides a comprehensive education for pupils from Year 7 and then into Key Stage 4 (KS4), for GCSE and Post-16 (A-levels). It has been awarded both an Investors in People award and an Artsmark Gold award. In 2006 a successful application was put forward for the school to become a dual status technology/arts college. The catchment area of the school covers Market Harborough and the surrounding villages including Kibworth, Fleckney, Great Glen, King's Norton, Foxton, the Langtons, Gumley, Laughton, Clipston and Lubenham.
The school converted to academy status in September 2011.[1]
In September 2017, the Academy became a member of the Tudor Grange Academies Trust (TGAT). The Academy went from six 50-minute lessons changing to five 60-minute lessons without bells.[2]
Facilities
Other notable facilities of the school are the Main Hall - an assembly hall, in which assemblies are held, as well as concerts, proms and other large-scale events. The Max studio allows pupils to take part in activities such as Dance and Drama "The Max", named after governor Maxwell Corney. This has a highly flexible format with space for dancing classes and acting. The Hammond Theatre is also a small intimate space used for small productions and practice performances. All new floodlit Astro Pitch with 2G Sand Based Astro Pitch for Football and Hockey. Full Hockey Pitch 11 v 11 Football and 7 v 7 Football. Two indoor sports centre halls are adjacent to the Astro pitches (in which indoor football, netball, basketball and other sports can be played) There is also a large school field, on which football and rugby are played, The library offers the usual reference facilities plus a thriving lunch time chess club. The school has a number of IT rooms, all networked with internet access and several science labs.
The Sixteen07 canteen opened on 18 February 2011 for Key Stage 3 & 4 students in years 7 to 11. The £1 million facility was built to replace a Nissen hut style structure and contains a kitchen, dining room and training kitchen. Pupils voted for the name of the canteen, selecting 'Sixteen07' in honour of the school's founding date.[3]
