Ackworth School is delighted to announce the appointment of former West Bromwich Albion, Walsall, Birmingham City, and England Under-21 player Gary Childs as its new Assistant Director of Football from April 2025. With a wealth of experience both on and off the pitch, Gary will play a key role in the development of young footballing talent at the school.
Childs, who enjoyed a distinguished playing career with clubs including West Bromwich Albion — where he earned his England U21 caps — Walsall, Birmingham City, and Grimsby Town, brings extensive coaching expertise to his new role. Notably, his time at Walsall saw the club achieve its best-ever cup run, highlighting his contributions at the highest levels of the game. Having worked with elite youth players for many years, his appointment signals the school’s commitment to fostering footballing excellence.
Speaking on his appointment, Gary said: “I am thrilled to be joining Ackworth School and working alongside a fantastic team. The opportunity to help nurture and develop young players in such a forward-thinking environment is something I am very passionate about. I look forward to bringing my experience to the role and helping students reach their full potential.”
Ackworth School’s Head, Martyn Beer, expressed his enthusiasm for the new addition to the coaching staff, saying: “We are delighted to welcome Gary to Ackworth School. His impressive career and dedication to developing young talent make him a fantastic asset to our football programme. His knowledge and experience will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our footballing structure and offer the best possible opportunities for our students.”
John McDermott, Director of Football at Ackworth School and former teammate of Childs at Grimsby Town, also shared his excitement about the appointment: “Having played and coached alongside Gary, I know firsthand the leadership, skill, and passion he brings to the game. His ability to inspire young players is second to none, and I have no doubt that he will have a hugely positive impact at Ackworth School.”
Gary Childs’ appointment comes as part of Ackworth School’s continued efforts to provide an elite footballing environment for its students, strengthened by its partnership with Harrogate Town AFC. This collaboration offers students access to top-level coaching, facilities, and pathways into professional football. With Childs’ extensive experience and commitment, the school is poised to enhance its football programme further.
Three of Ackworth School’s Football Academy players were selected this week to join the Harrogate Town Academy side in their FA Youth Cup third round match against Birmingham City.
Chester, Charlie and Reece joined the team in a commanding performance earning a 3 – 1 victory against Birmingham City at The Exercise Stadium, with Chester scoring the final goal of the match with only ten minutes to spare, securing the win for Harrogate.
Ackworth School’s Director of Football, and former PFA Merit Award winner, John McDermott said “Our unique partnership with Harrogate Town AFC gives our players not only the opportunity to play at the highest levels of school football, but also to compete on a national level against professional academy teams. I am proud of the dedication that Chester, Charlie and Reece have shown to secure their place in the Harrogate Town Academy team“.
Ackworth School’s Football Academy first team continue their excellent start to the season of 12 wins in 13 games against Boston Spa or Bingley Grammar School next week in the West Yorkshire Cup final.
Ackworth School is delighted to announce the remarkable achievements of our Sixth Form students in their 2024 A-Level examinations. This year’s results highlight the dedication, hard work, and academic excellence of our students, as well as the fantastic support provided by our teaching staff.
We are incredibly proud of the outstanding performances that have led to many students securing places at some of the UK’s most prestigious universities. Among the top achievers is Mikulas, who earned three A grades in Biology, Mathematics, and Chemistry, securing his place at the University of Southampton to study Medicine. Similarly, Bani also achieved A grades in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics and she will be pursuing Civil Engineering at the University of Warwick.
Hadrian achieved A* in Mathematics, A in Further Mathematics and B in Physics and will also be heading to the University of Southampton to study Computer Science. Steven also excelled with A* in Mathematics, along with an A in Further Mathematics, and a B in Computer Science who will be taking a well-earned gap year before applying to university for 2025. Izzy will be joining King’s College London to study Social Sciences with excellent results in English Literature, History and Psychology plus an A* for her EPQ.
A special mention must also go to Alex from our Autism Resource who achieved B and D in Mathematics and Further Mathematics respectively.
Head of Ackworth School, Martyn Beer, expressed his admiration for the students’ achievements: “I am incredibly proud of all our students. Their hard work and determination have truly paid off. Our students have not only achieved academically but have also developed the skills and qualities that will serve them well in their future endeavours. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to each of them, especially in light of the disruption to their education through the Covid years, and to our dedicated staff who have supported them every step of the way.“
Beyond these individual successes, we are also pleased to report that the overall pass rate at Ackworth School remains high, with an increase in the percentage of students achieving grades A*- A. These results reflect the strong academic ethos and supportive community that Ackworth School is renowned for.
As our students prepare to embark on the next exciting chapter of their lives, we wish them every success in their future studies and careers. We are confident that they will continue to make us proud as they move forward with the knowledge, skills, and values they have gained during their time at Ackworth School.
About Ackworth School: Ackworth School is a co-educational independent school in West Yorkshire, offering day and boarding education for students aged 2 to 18. Founded in 1779, the school is committed to nurturing individual talent and promoting academic excellence within a caring and supportive environment.
If you would like to find out more about how Ackworth School can support your child to unlock their full academic potential, why not book a place at our Open Morning on Thursday 10 October 2024 or contact our admissions team on admissons@ackworthschool.com or 01977 233621.
Ackworth School Sixth Form students put their filmmaking skills to the test today with the One Day Film School.
In the morning, they learned the essentials:
Film History – from the early days of film to the latest in special effects.
Fight Choreography – analysing James Bond/Indiana Jones fight scenes… and filming their own screen punch.
Camera – learning to use an iPad like a pro, tips and tricks to avoid common mistakes, making a practice 3 Shot Film about a theft.
Screenwriting – discovering 3 key things every good script needs, how to tell a great story, create memorable characters… and make us care.
In the afternoon, pupils took the 10 Shot Challenge: creating a short film (2mins, max) based on a classic narrative (eg. ’Someone is kidnapped, an attempted rescue’) for premiering at the end of the day. Pupils self-allocated a role within their film crew (writer, director, producer, screenwriter, actors).
Most adverts take several months to make, so the challenge of making a successful short film in just ninety minutes can be daunting. However, the groups gelled exceptionally well, showed great leadership and teamwork, and no-one missed the deadline. Their final task was to introduce their film, just like at the Cannes film festival, and give it a poster tagline (eg. ‘In space no-one can hear you scream’). Then it was time for the VIP judges (Anton Maree, Head and Young Film Academy representatives) to take their seats and decide which would win the ultimate prize: the Best Picture Oscar…
The standard was very high, so it was a tough decision… the Best Picture Oscars was awarded to ‘The Rescue Mission’. It told an engaging, entertaining story which was technically superb: the judges were particularly impressed by the excellent performances and high standard of camerawork, editing and sound design. Congratulations to the winning team – hope to see you at the (real) Oscars!
Ackworth School in Ackworth, near Pontefract is proudly recognising its students for their unwavering commitment to their studies over the past two years, resulting in impressive accomplishments.
The day and boarding school achieved a 91% A-Level pass rate (which as a non-selective school is exceptional) and is “especially proud that, despite the difficult circumstances they’ve endured over the past few years, many students exceeded or achieved their predicted grades”.
In total, 43.8% of all Ackworth’s A-Level entries gained A*- B grades, with the majority of students securing their first-choice place at the UK’s top universities which include University College London (UCL), Durham University, the University of Nottingham and the University of Southampton. Additionally, three pupils have secured places at American universities including Ivy League Colleges.
Special mentions must go to Brian, who achieved A*AA and a place at the University of Southampton to study Mechanical Engineering, and to Emily, who has secured a place at Durham University to study English Literature.
Other pupil successes to note include Grace who has secured a place at the University of Nottingham to study Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, as well as Darcy who has secured a place at University College London (UCL) to study Anthropology.
Ackworth School’s Head, Anton Maree said: “The tenacity and resilience demonstrated by our students is inspiring. Each student has every reason to take pride in their accomplishments and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead. Our teachers have worked tirelessly to support them to achieve these results.”
If you would like to find out more about how Ackworth School can support your child to unlock their full academic potential, why not book a place at our Open Morning on Tuesday 3 October 2023 or contact our admissions team on admissons@ackworthschool.com or 01977 233600.
Ackworth School and Coram House have been shortlisted in the Independent School Parent Magazine ‘Independent Schools of the Year 2023’ awards. Senior School has been shortlisted for ‘Independent Boarding School of the Year‘ and Coram House for ‘Independent Prep School of the Year‘.
Dr. Helen Wright, Chair of Independent Schools of the Year 2023 said ‘It has been truly wonderful to receive nominations which showcase transformative and innovative projects that are underway across the country, and it is with great pleasure that I am able to tell you that Ackworth School and Ackworth School – Coram House has been shortlisted for Independent Boarding School of the Year and Independent Prep School of the Year‘.
Anton Maree, Head said ‘Following our recent Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rating of ‘Excellent’ earlier this year it is now wonderful to have our school shortlisted for these two awards. Our staff work tirelessly to provide an outstanding educational and pastoral experience for our pupils so it is great to see this recognised in this way. We look forward to the next stage of the awards later this year‘.
A list of Finalists will be published on 6 September and the winners, chosen by the Independent Schools of the Year judging panel will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.
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