Ashcroft Technology Academy
Ashcroft Technology Academy, formerly known as ADT College, is a state secondary school in Putney, south-west London. The school has been awarded the Charter Mark, Investors in People, and School Achievement Awards. As of September 2006, organizations affiliated with the school include Cisco Systems, Sports England, and The Arts Council of England.
Ashcroft Technology Academy is a secondary school for students aged 11 to 16 (years 7–11). The school also provides further education in the Sixteenth Form for students aged 16 to 18 (years 12 and 13). The academy has undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment program which was completed in summer 2010. This includes a purpose-built Sixteenth Form and an Autism Resource Centre.
The academy is named after its patron, Lord Ashcroft. It is a registered charity whose formal name is Prospect Education (Technology) Trust Limited.
History
ADT College was established in 1991 as a city technology college, funded by donations from various organizations, including ADT Security Services (then owned by Baron Michael Ashcroft), Unisys, British Gas, and Young's (who sponsored the school's "Music Bunker"). In 2007, the school was converted into an academy and named Ashcroft Technology Academy after its main private benefactor. In the earlier period, the building was the site of Mayfield School, an all-girls comprehensive school.
Results
GCSE results: Percentage of students achieving five or more grades A*-C (and equivalent) including English and Maths:
2008 – 68%
2009 – 70%
2010 – 79%
2011 – 71%
2012 – 68%
2013 – 67%
2014 – 65%
2016 – 80%+
A-level results: Average points score per student
2011 – 843
2012 – 860
2013 – 881
2014 – 874
| Year | GCSE Results (%) | A-Level Average Points |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 68% | - |
| 2009 | 70% | - |
| 2010 | 79% | - |
| 2011 | 71% | 843 |
| 2012 | 68% | 860 |
| 2013 | 67% | 881 |
| 2014 | 65% | 874 |
| 2016 | 80%+ | - |
Year 7 admissions:
The school is in high demand; in 2010, 1,390 applications were received for the 210 places available.
Sixteenth Form:
Ashcroft offers a wide range of courses and teaching methods to post-16 students. The Sixteenth Form includes Years 12 and 13, with around 150 students. Students are required to have 7 A*-C grades and at least 4 B grades in a range of subjects for entry to Level 3 courses; however, International Baccalaureate students are required to have 8 A*-B grades. [citation needed]
Ofsted Report:
Ashcroft Technology Academy was rated "Outstanding" in its 2015 Ofsted report. The most recent report from 2021 is also "Outstanding".
Homework:
The school issues weekly homework for each subject for students in Years 7-11, which is available on the "Show My Homework" platform. All issued homework can be found in the Homework section of their website.
Controversial issues:
In 2011, the academy faced criticism when it was revealed that teachers' contracts included a clause that prevented them from taking industrial action, even though this clause was not legally enforceable in the UK. In addition, the academy's leaders or governors did not recognize union bargaining rights. As a result, teachers from the National Union of Teachers did not participate in strikes in June 2011 because they had disciplinary concerns. The Times Educational Supplement described the contract as "draconian".
In September 2021, the school faced criticism when it was revealed that the school had implemented a policy banning bicycles and had added them to a list of prohibited items, including weapons, drugs, and pornography.
The school has an average rating of 2.3 stars (out of 5) in feedback from parents and students on Google Reviews, where "strict use of internal exclusion" and past safeguarding failures among senior management have been targeted.