Grace College | |
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Address | |
Saltwell Road South , , NE9 6LE England | |
Coordinates | 54°55′40″N 1°36′23″W / 54.92780°N 1.60651°W |
Information | |
Type | Academy |
Motto | Light and Life |
Religious affiliation(s) | None |
Established | 1996 |
Local authority | Gateshead |
Trust | Emmanuel Schools Foundation |
Department for Education URN | 147178 Tables |
Ofsted | Reports |
Chair of Governors | Aileen Conlon |
Lead Principal | Matthew Waterfield MA |
Head of School | Rachael Hooker |
Staff | 140[1] |
Gender | Mixed |
Age | 11 to 18 |
Enrolment | 1318 |
Website | https://www.gracecollege.org.uk/ |
Grace College (formerly Joseph Swan School, then Joseph Swan Academy) is a mixed secondary school with academy status situated in south Gateshead, England which educates pupils ages 11–18. The school was originally named after the English physicist and chemist, Sir Joseph Wilson Swan. In 2001, the school was awarded Specialist Technology College status. In April 2019, Joseph Swan Academy was taken over by Emmanuel Schools Foundation and Mark Hall became principal of the academy. As part of its transition into the ESF, it became known as Grace College from September 2019. Rachael Hooker then became head of the school in 2023 after Mark Hall became a head at a different school.
Breckenbeds Junior High School was a secondary school on the current school site. The school taught pupils aged 11–14 and acted as a feeder school for Heathfield Senior School. The Breckenbeds site was redeveloped to provide additional capacity for 14-18 year old pupils that had previously studied at the defunct Heathfield Senior High School. The school closed as Breckenbeds in September 1996.[2]
The current school was formed in 1996 as a merger of the Breckenbeds Junior High and Heathfield Senior High schools, becoming the Joseph Swan School.
In 2006, the headteacher was Alan Fuller. Average annual enrolment is 1,300 pupils. The annual enrolment for year 2007/2008 is of 1460 pupils, including Sixth formers.
As of March 2012, Joseph Swan School became Joseph Swan Academy.[3]
The school has a range of after school projects and activities. As of March 2007 the school has an operative Royal Artillery detachment part of Durham Army Cadet Force. The School Detachment is part of 5th Platoon in B Company.
As well as the Royal Artillery detachment, the school is host to the Academy Band of the Band and Bugles of Durham Army Cadet Force which welcomes musicians aged 12–18.
In April 2019, Joseph Swan Academy joined the Emmanuel Schools Foundation. As part of the school joining ESF, it has been renamed Grace College.[4]
After heavy rain hit Gateshead, the College was severely damaged. Approximately 70% of the College needed repairs done, and all 1,300 students were given online courses after the flooding.[5] The flooding had effected classrooms, corridors, break areas, and sports halls. Lead Principal Matthew Waterfield said it had been a "very challenging few days". He added that it could take "months for parts of the site to be restored" and "fully operational".