Sir William Robertson Academy (formerly Sir William Robertson High School) is a coeducational secondary school of around 1000 pupils, situated in Welbourn, near Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England. The school is sited on a former WWII munitions dump for the nearby Wellingore Aerodrome.
The school used to specialise languages and taught French, Spanish and German, but now only French is taught. From September 2012 the school has catered for students aged 11 to 18. The school also achieved its best ever GCSE results in 2008.
The school has four houses, each with a differently coloured tie: Seacole (yellow), Windrush (red), Robertson (blue) and Attenborough (green).
History Secondary modern school Sir William Robertson Academy is named after Field Marshal William Robertson, born in Welbourn, who served in the First World War.
The school was to open as Leadenham County Secondary Modern School. The name change to William Robertson took place on Wednesday 30 November 1960, at a meeting of Kesteven Education Committee in Sleaford.Grantham Journal Friday 2 December 1960, page 1
It opened on 5 January 1961, with HORSA buildings.Grantham Journal Friday 21 October 1960, page 8 The first head was educated in Grantham, who was a flight lieutenant in the RAF during the war.Grantham Journal Friday 24 June 1960, page 1 It was officially opened on Tuesday 17 October 1961 by Brian Robertson, 1st Baron Robertson of Oakridge.Newark Advertiser Wednesday 18 October 1961, page 16Newark Advertiser Wednesday 19 July 1961, page 12Sleaford Standard Friday 6 October 1961, page 16 The school was to be built for 450 children.Sleaford Standard Friday 20 October 1961, page 16
The school was to be three form entry. There were new buildings in the mid-1960s. The school was to cost £74,767.Grantham Journal Friday 11 May 1962, page 6 The deputy headteacher, Mr Padgett, became the first headteacher of the new secondary modern at Billinghay, in 1963. From September 1964 it worked with Grantham College to teach commercial subjects for one day a week.Grantham Journal Friday 6 March 1964, page 5
Evening courses were taught, which was later known as the Welbourn Adult Education Centre, later run by John Halpin.Sleaford Standard Friday 10 May 1963, page 17 In 1971 there were 350 at the school.
Comprehensive It became a comprehensive in September 1975. Comprehensive schools were discussed in 1969 and 1970, but not everyone agreed.Sleaford Standard Friday 12 December 1969, page 5Sleaford Standard Friday 6 March 1970, page 1 It was proposed that the school could become a 11-18 coeducational comprehensive school, with 1,000 children.Sleaford Standard Friday 2 May 1975, page 11
By August 1977 the headteacher was facing accusations from Leadenham parish council that schoolchildren were 'educationally deprived'.Lincolnshire Echo Monday 29 August 1977, page 4 Parents were looking at moving their children to different schools.Grantham Journal Friday 9 September 1977, page 21Sleaford Standard Thursday 15 September 1977Grantham Journal Friday 16 September 1977, page 5 The school offered seven A-level courses, two of which were 'academic'.Sleaford Standard Thursday 1 September 1977 For the first four years, it was not comprehensive, by intake.
In 1977 one of the school governors was Mrs Jean Wootton of Horbling, the chairman of the education committee of the county council.
The school was given permission in January 1980 to establish an experimental sixth form, for four years.Sleaford Standard Thursday 24 January 1980, page 8 The first set of O-level exams taken by a comprehensive intake were taken in 1980.Sleaford Standard Thursday 28 August 1980
In 1985 closure of the school was discussed, due to low numbers attending. Sleaford Standard Friday 15 February 1985
There were 380 at the school in 1989. In June 1990 it built a replica Iron Age mud hut, overseen by History teacher Tony Sanderson.Newark Advertiser Friday 14 September 1990, page 8 In January 1991 it formed a company Welro Engineering, to make working models of engineering parts.Grantham Journal Friday 17 May 1991, page 16
The school became grant maintained in September 1993,Sleaford Standard Thursday 19 August 1993, page 5 after parents were balloted in October 1992.Lincolnshire Echo Monday 19 October 1992 On Wednesday 4 November 1992 the school was filmed by the BBC for the 'North of Westminster' series, broadcast on November 8, 1992, in connection with grant-maintained status.Sleaford Standard Thursday 12 November 1992, page 8
In 1993 there were 326 at the school. Only 40 children entered the school in 1992, it was typically around 66.Grantham Journal Friday 26 February 1993, page 10
It became an academy in October 2012.
Buildings Buildings were to be added in 1963, to cost £57,100.Sleaford Standard Friday 17 February 1961, page 17 In 1964 a £82,000 extension was planned for 1967-68.Sleaford Standard Friday 17 January 1964
In February 1972 a £70,000 contract began, to build a two-storey classroom block, for the raising of the school leaving age to 16.Lincolnshire Echo Friday 11 February 1972, page 7 The 5-acre former site was sold in 1978.Sleaford Standard Thursday 17 August 1978, page 24
A cafeteria system of school meals began on October 1, 1980,Sleaford Standard Thursday 2 October 1980, page 9 but the county council looked at closing the meals service in 1981.Sleaford Standard Thursday 4 December 1980, page 1Lincolnshire Echo Tuesday 9 December 1980, page 1Sleaford Standard Thursday 14 May 1981, page 9
In August 1987, the district council agreed to a new sports centre being built, which would not be joint-use for the local community.Lincolnshire Echo Friday 21 August 1987, page 11Newark Advertiser Friday 28 August 1987, page 7 Construction started in late 1987, built by William Wright & Sons of Lincoln.Lincolnshire Echo Friday 8 April 1988, page 14 Completion of the sport centre was expected by December 1988,Sleaford Standard Thursday 27 October 1988, page 6Lincolnshire Echo Tuesday 1 November 1988, page 21 costing £298,000,Lincolnshire Echo Monday 12 December 1988, page 5Sleaford Standard Thursday 29 December 1988, page 7 and officially opened in March 1989 by William Wyrill, the leader of the county council.Sleaford Standard Thursday 9 March 1989, page 8Lincolnshire Echo Tuesday 14 March 1989, page 7Grantham Journal Friday 17 March 1989, page 10
Sixth form In June 1985 it was decided to close the sixth form,Lincolnshire Echo Thursday 27 June 1985, page 21Sleaford Standard Friday 28 June 1985, page 1 from September 1986, due to low numbers.Sleaford Standard Friday 20 December 1985, page 16
From 1986, most people after 16 went to the Sleaford Joint Sixth Form. At age 16 people, with adequate O-level results, would often choose to go to the grammar schools in Sleaford (Sleaford Joint Sixth Form) or Grantham, both of which had a far better known academic reputation, and also offered a wider choice of A-levels. As a result, the school sixth form was probably unfortunately doomed from day one.
In March 1994, with only 370 at the school, the school planned to re-open a sixth form for September 1995.Sleaford Standard Thursday 24 March 1994, page 7 The Priory LSST was also taking many children from the Welbourn and Navenby areas from 1992.
In early 1999 construction work began in a £750,000 block, which was hoped could lead to a sixth form again being established.Newark Advertiser Friday 15 January 1999, page 6
The sixth form was re-established in 2012.
Headteachers Arthur James Aveling, retired July 1970, after 9 years;Grantham Journal Friday 24 July 1970, page 18 he died in Kirkby Lonsdale in August 1986 aged 76Grantham Journal Friday 22 August 1986, page 12 c.1985, Mrs Judith B Crowe until December 1992, moved to the Falkland Islands Community School in January 1993Sleaford Standard Thursday 17 September 1992 January 1993, Ian Wright
Sport The school took part in the Grantham and District Schools football competition, from the early 1980s.
Visits On the evening of Friday March 11, 1983 employment secretary Norman Tebbit spoke at the school, as the guest of the Grantham Conservative Association. In Mr Tebbit's speech at the school, he did not hold back in his remarks about other political parties.Lincolnshire Echo Friday 11 March 1983, page 1Grantham Journal Friday 18 March 1983, page 21Sleaford Standard Friday 18 March 1983, page 11
Notable former pupils Farren Blackburn, film and TV director (1980–85) Morgan Whittaker, professional football player (2012-17)
References