Senior School Archives - Page 5 of 6

Ackworth School announces Martyn Beer as New Head, effective April 2024

May 26, 2023 | Ackworth School, Junior School, Old Scholar, Quaker, Senior School, Sixth Form

Ackworth School is pleased to announce the appointment of Martyn Beer as the new Head, effective April 2024. Martyn, who is currently Senior Deputy Head at Bootham School in York, will succeed Anton Maree as Head, bringing with him a wealth of experience in education and a passion for nurturing the potential of each student.

Martyn joins Ackworth School with an impressive background in leadership and a deep understanding of the educational landscape. He brings a range of senior leadership experience from the independent and state sectors across the areas of pastoral, academic, boarding, and enrichment. This has been supplemented by national leadership work in ethical leadership and Quaker values in education.

As the incoming Head, Martyn expressed his excitement about joining Ackworth School, saying, “I am honoured and delighted to have been chosen as the new Head of Ackworth School. I am passionate about the lifelong, transformative potential of education and look to foster an educational approach which nurtures open-minded, thoughtful, compassionate, socially responsible young people who are ready, willing, and able to make the world a better place and celebrate its diversity. I am excited to see these values at the heart of Ackworth’s Quaker heritage and ethos and am looking forward to joining such a vibrant and diverse school community.”

David Bunney, Clerk to the School Committee at Ackworth School, shared his confidence in the appointment of Martyn Beer, stating, “The School Committee is thrilled to welcome Martyn Beer as the incoming Head of Ackworth School. His passion for education, proven leadership skills, a deep understanding of our shared Quaker values, and the importance of individualised pupil development make him the ideal candidate to lead Ackworth into the future. We look forward to working with him as we continue to provide an exceptional learning environment for our students.“

Ackworth School would like to extend its sincere gratitude and thanks to Anton Maree, the outgoing Head, for his dedicated service over the past ten years. Under his leadership, Ackworth School has flourished and maintained its position as a leading institution in the field of education, despite unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis. Anton’s commitment to the students, staff, and community has left an indelible mark on the school, and his contributions will be remembered fondly as Ackworth School enters this exciting new chapter.

Martyn’s tenure as the Head of Ackworth School will commence in April 2024. Ackworth School is eagerly looking forward to the new era under Martyn’s leadership and anticipates further growth and accomplishments as the institution continues to provide an outstanding educational experience to its students.

About Ackworth School:
Established in 1779, Ackworth School is a leading independent Quaker day and boarding school situated in the picturesque surroundings of Ackworth, West Yorkshire, UK. Ackworth provides an exceptional education for students aged 2.5 to 20, focusing on academic excellence, character development, and the cultivation of a global perspective, underpinned by Quaker values. The school’s commitment to holistic education and its unwavering dedication to the success of each student have earned it a distinguished reputation both locally and internationally.

For media inquiries, please contact:
James Busson
Director of Marketing, Admissions and Communications
Ackworth School
Phone: +44 1977 233620
Email: james.busson@ackworthschool.com

Ackworth School partners with Harrogate Town AFC to launch new Football Academy

Feb 22, 2023 | Old Scholar, Senior School, Sixth Form, Sport

Ackworth School is delighted to announce a new partnership with English Football League Two team, Harrogate Town AFC to deliver our Elite Football Academy from September 2023.

Students enrolling in the academy will benefit from high levels of contact time per week with our school-based UEFA licence qualified Director of Football. This will comprise of regular individual and group skills coaching sessions, regular football matches for both the Academy (and for the school when possible), and supervised strength and conditioning training.

In addition to the Academy’s home being at a brand-new 3G pitch ten minutes from the school, students will have access to five full-sized pitches, a multi-use games pitch and an indoor training area. Students enrolled in the football academy can also take full advantage of the heated indoor swimming pool and our purpose-built fitness suite.

Head, Anton Maree said “I am struck by the professionalism demonstrated at every level by Harrogate Town Association Football Club and their staff. The benefit of being able to tap into that professionalism can only be an advantage to our school and our students. I look forward to a lengthy association with HTAFC and am delighted with the opportunity that it brings to our school and to all footballers within our local community.”

Simon Weaver, Harrogate Town AFC Manager said “I am delighted that our football club has entered into partnership with Ackworth School. I am immensely proud of the association with my former school. Anton Maree is a great leader and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my meetings with him. We are passionate about developing student athletes at the school. The school has strong values and so do we as a football club and that is why we have faith in each other to produce a successful joint venture that gives pupils every opportunity to develop, enjoy and succeed.”

Many players will choose to join the Academy alongside their Sixth Form studies. Two study routes are available: traditional A-Levels, or the BTEC Extended National Diploma in Sport (equivalent to three A-Levels) for those wanting a more vocational education. Those pupils joining the Academy in years below the Sixth Form must take the required academic course appropriate to their age and ability and involve themselves in the school’s co-curricular programme.

For more information about joining Ackworth School and the Football Academy, please visit www.ackworthschool.com/sports/football-academy/ or contact us on admissions@ackworthschool.com.

Retirement of Anton Maree, Head of Ackworth School announced

Jan 9, 2023 | Ackworth School, Junior School, Old Scholar, Senior School, Sixth Form

The Head of Ackworth School, Anton Maree, has announced that he will be retiring from his role at the end of the Spring Term in April 2024.

Anton Maree said: “After 10 years at the school it is the right time to move on and give someone else the chance to set the tone and determine the direction. Being the Head of the school has been an honour and a privilege. I know that change can create uncertainty but Ackworth has survived through unforeseeable and testing times. I look forward to the rest of my time at this wonderful school”.

David Bunney, Clerk to the School Committee, said “ Anton has done so much to further the school and to help the local community. He leaves a strong legacy for his successor to build on. The whole school community wish him well when retirement eventually comes in April next year”.

The School Committee have now started their search for a new Head.

Exam results reflect hard work and resilience

Aug 12, 2021 | Ackworth School, Senior School

Ackworth School is pleased to report some outstanding achievements by its pupils in their GCSEs, A Levels and other qualifications this summer.

It has been a difficult year with many disruptions and their grades are a reflection of all the hard work they did and the support given to them by their teachers and parents.

As a non-selective school, it is rewarding to see Ackworth students being offered places at some of the UK’s most competitive institutions. Two pupils have secured places at the University of Cambridge, and most pupils secured first choices at Russell Group universities. Among these are international students who came to Ackworth to help propel them into their chosen paths of study.

Anton Maree, Head of Ackworth School said, “We are all proud of all the commitment and effort our pupils displayed this year despite the difficult circumstances. Some of our international pupils had not been home since August 2020 and they deserve our respect and admiration. Our teachers worked tirelessly to ensure that all of our pupils were able to progress onto further education and the next stage of their lives, and we look forward to seeing what they will achieve in the future.”

Our A-level candidates achieved:

A*-A – 42.2%
A*-B – 56.9%
A*-C – 75.0%
A*-E – 94.0%

Our GCSE candidates achieved:

9-8 (A* ) – 30.4%
9-7 (A*-A ) – 48.2%
9-6 (A*-B) – 64.9%
9-5 (A*-B) – 79.3%
9-4 (A*-C)– 93.2%

Following the cancellation of exams for the second successive year, grades were awarded through a process of teacher assessed grades, against a national standard, which were then approved and awarded by the exam boards. The government is not publishing performance data for any schools or colleges this year due to the varying impact of the pandemic.

“We maintained our proud record of being a school with excellent value-added,” said Anton. “Our results at both GCSE and A level are in keeping with those of previous years.”

Alexandra Collingwood, Head of Sixth Form said, “We cannot underestimate the fantastic achievements of this cohort. They have worked tirelessly to achieve the grades awarded. We are confident this assessment season will stand them in good stead as they move forward on their educational journey.”

Dan Jones, Head of Fourth and Fifth Forms said, “I am proud of how these pupils have demonstrated resilience and adaptability over two unprecedented years, learning new skills – particularly in digital learning – that will provide excellent foundations as they enter the next phase.”

Digital innovation and investment have been a core focus of Ackworth School since before the pandemic. The implementation of iPads for every pupil in the senior school has been a key factor in the school’s success in ensuring uninterrupted learning during lockdowns.

Wearing Red for Sarah Everard

Mar 25, 2021 | Ackworth School, Senior School

Grace and Evelyn, both Fifth Form pupils, have been giving talks this week across the school years raising awareness around the circumstances of the death of Sarah Everard. We managed to catch up with the girls to see how their presentations were going.

Grace said, “We wanted to acknowledge that certain things are never ok – boys need to understand that even shouting inappropriate comments is not the correct way to win over a girl. We also wanted to make sure that girls understand what actions to take if a boy makes them feel uncomfortable.”

Grace and Evelyn have been telling Sarah’s story, specifying she was very well-liked amongst her friends. They wanted to make sure that she would also be remembered for who she was and not just for the circumstances of how she had died.

Evelyn said, “Did you know that 97% of women have been sexually harassed in their lifetime and 90% of those victims know their perpetrator. When people discuss the term “not all men” not being accurate, for some women it is all men to be cautious of. If you are given a plate of cookies but one was poisonous, would you risk it?”

The messages and topics brought up during their presentation speak to the need to raise awareness among younger audiences. “Whatever gender you are it is never ok to body shame and make sexual comments about someone,” said Grace and Evelyn. “Tackling these problems from a young age can help normalise these conversations later down the line.”

Education is vital for these topics but there are ways to keep yourself safe:

Sharing your location on apps like FindMyFriends or WhatsApp
Make a ‘silent’ emergency call by dialling 999 and then pressing 55 if you can’t speak in a situation
61016 – Send a text to this number if you feel unsafe

Making a difference

All of this awareness is for a good cause. Grace and Evelyn are raising money today through a non-uniform day for The Survivors Trust, a charity that provides free confidential support and information for victims of any type of sexual violence. The information gathered by the charity is then used for survivors, their supporters, and society at large, making sure these events are not normalised. The Survivors Trust member agencies provide a range of specialist services to survivors including counselling, support, helplines and advocacy services for women, men, non-binary people and children. These agencies are mostly charities and are completely independent of the police.

A-level success for Ackworth Sixth Formers in face of adversity

Aug 13, 2020 | Senior School, Sixth Form

We are very proud of all of our Sixth Formers. With their chance to demonstrate their ability in the normal way removed as a consequence of the pandemic, their teachers were asked to provide Centre Assessed Grades that were a fair reflection of what they would have achieved in their A-Level examinations. They have done very well and their results are deserved.

36.7% of grades were A*-A
61.7% A*-B,
83.3% A*-C
100% A*-E.

Anton Maree, Head of Ackworth School said, “This was a year group required to deal with far more adversity than any other. They have responded admirably to this challenge in a way that defines them and we will all miss their spontaneity and humour whilst regretting their missed chances to shine during all the moments that accompany the final year at school.”

Madison and Aidan celebrate their top results.

Ackworth is a small, non-selective school and we regularly send our students to the best universities in the country and further afield: Henry will be studying Modern Languages at Warwick University; Martha, Spanish at Oxford University; Madison, Medicine at Hull York Medical School; Dusan, Economics and Politics at the University of Edinburgh; Reece, Dentistry at Kings College London; and Mikkel, Economics and Finance at Wofford College, South Carolina, in the USA.

Alexandra Collingwood, Head of Sixth Form said, “We are delighted that our students will be moving into higher education at some extremely prestigious universities. They will do very well and were part of a cohort that we certainly won’t forget.’

Click to learn more about Ackworth School’s Sixth Form and Oxbridge Pathways Programme.