The Dukeries Academy (formerly The Dukeries Comprehensive School and then The Dukeries College and Complex) is a secondary school and community college situated in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire.
History It opened in September 1964, with Kirkby in Ashfield Comprehensive School, the first Nottinghamshire county comprehensive schools; Fairham Comprehensive School in Nottingham had preceded these schools. The school was dedicated to 'community provision' at a time when the village and neighbouring Edwinstowe and Bilsthorpe, who attended the school, were thriving mining communities. The school/college/academy had its 50th anniversary in 2014.
It had a residential training centre, the Ollerton Educational Institute. It had a purpose-built theatre.Retford Times Friday 12 November 1965, page 10 There were 1290 children.
The first headmaster was Mr John Ireland West, who was born in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and lived in Upton, Newark and Sherwood.Nottingham Evening Post Saturday 14 June 1975, page 7 He had two sons.Nottingham Evening Post Monday 22 December 1975, page 6
Extensions were constructed from 1967, to increase to the school to a ten-form entry, and to add a sixth form of 90, which would cost £153,563.Nottingham Evening Post, 23 June 1967, page 17Retford Times, 30 June 1967, page 4
A Sub-Aqua Group was formed in January 1967.Retford Times, 31 January 1969, page 1 In April 1969 it acquired a residential field studies centre in North Wales at Trawsfynydd, which was provided by Rexco smokeless fuels. This was opened on 4 July 1970 by Richard Marsh, Baron Marsh, former Minister of Transport.Nottingham Evening Post, 24 June 1970, page 12
The new sixth form opened in February 1970. By 1971, there were 1800 at the school. There were too many children at the school in the early 1970s.Retford Times, 7 May 1971, page 3
In 1975 an arsonist set fire to the gym, needing 18 firemen.Nottingham Evening Post, 4 June 1975, page 4 In June 1975, the headteacher was awarded the CBE in the 1975 Birthday Honours. Two squash courts opened in April 1976.Nottingham Evening Post, 27 April 1976, page 18Retford Times, 14 May 1976, page 19
In 2009, The Dukeries was included in controversial plans to cut funding. Nottinghamshire County Council proposed to cut £380,000 of the schools budget to save money. There was a campaign to stop these cuts from happening.
The attached Leisure Centre (owned by NSDC) received an extension to include a new swimming pool in 2020, and the structure was built and completed in 2021. The pool was officially opened by Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Adlington.
Curriculum It offers education for students aged 11–19. ATTFE College, the school's sixth form, also offer a range of level 2 and 3 courses, including GCSEs and BTECs.
Visits The Princess Royal opened a whitewater centre on the afternoon of Tuesday 17 May 1988.Times, May 18 1988, page 14Mansfield & Sutton Recorder, 19 May 1988, page 1
The Earl of Wessex visited the Enviro Centre on Thursday 1 July 2004.Times, July 2 2004, page 42
The Dukeries was visited by Ed Balls, Sebastian Coe,Seb Coe visits Nottinghamshire to inspire sporting success and Gordon Brown.
Balls described it as "a school of the 21st century". The school received a "satisfactory" grade after an OFSTED inspection. The school became an academy on 1 January 2013, and was renamed The Dukeries Academy. The Dukeries offers a theatre, horse riding, on-site counselling, a construction block (opened in 2008), an astro-turf pitch, a youth club and a fire service training centre.
Former teachers Barry Troyna, drama
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