Barbara Speake Stage School Explained

Barbara Speake Stage School
Coordinates:51.5123°N -0.2552°W
Established:10 February 1945
Closed:15 July 2020
Type:Independent school
Day school
Co-educational school
Head Label:Principal
Head:Shereen Boucher
R Head Label:Headteacher
R Head:David Speake
Founder:Barbara Speake
Address:East Acton Lane
City:East Acton, London
Country:England
Postcode:W3 7EG
Local Authority:Ealing Council
Urn:101948
Gender:Co-educational
Lower Age:4
Upper Age:16
Free Label 2:Campus
Free 2:Urban campus

The Barbara Speake Stage School was opened on 10 February 1945 as an independent school, and was initially set up as a dancing school, by the founding principal Miss Barbara Speake, MBE,[1] and was located in East Acton, London. The school was fee-paying but non-selective in its admissions.[2]

The school closed in 2020.[3]

History

In 1961, June Collins (mother of drummer/singer Phil Collins) joined forces with Barbara Speake to become the school's agent. Collins supplied the entertainment industry with children for every major production in the West End, TV and Theatre. Due to the success of both the agency and dancing school, in 1963 the decision was made to turn their successes in to a full-time educational establishment for the performing arts. Collins discovered Jack Wild playing football and decided that he was a child with potential, and persuaded his family to let him attend the full-time school. Wild went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of "The Artful Dodger" in Oliver![4] [5] Collins died in November 2011.[6]

Barbara Speake was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2007 New Year Honours, for services to drama in London.[7]

The School received an Inadequate Ofsted rating at its last inspection (30 April 2019).[8] The decline from a Satisfactory rating began with an emergency inspection on 4 July 2014 which found that the welfare, health and safety of pupils was at risk following the installation of CCTV without appropriate changing facilities being provided. The inspection found that there were no changing facilities for female pupils.[9]

Alumni

Over the years, Collins had an eye for talent, and with Speake, the school has helped to develop some notable performers in the entertainment industry, including:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Speake . Barbara M . Angels in the Wings . AuthorHouse . 23 March 2017.
  2. Web site: Speake up for drama – Barbara Speake . The Stage . Susan . Elkin . 7 February 2005 . 29 June 2014 . 25 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131225070905/http://www.thestage.co.uk/features/2005/02/speake-up-for-drama-barbara-speake/ . dead .
  3. Web site: Osborne . Bridget . ArtsEd school 'over-subscribed' despite crisis in performing arts . The Chiswick Calendar . 29 June 2020 . 31 January 2021.
  4. Web site: NewsLibrary. Wichita Eagle: Search Results. Newsbank. 7 November 2014. 7 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141107141614/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WE&s_site=kansas&p_multi=WE&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADB343554A9484&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. dead.
  5. News: Jack Wild. 3 March 2006. The Telegraph. 7 November 2014.
  6. Web site: June Collins (I) . IMDB . IMDb.com, Inc. . 31 January 2021.
  7. News: The Gazette . 31 January 2021 . The Stationery Office . 58196 . Her Majesty's Stationery Office . 30 December 2006.
  8. Web site: Barbara Speake Stage School. Ofsted. 27 November 2020. May 2019.
  9. Web site: Barbara Speake Stage School. 4 July 2014. Ofsted. 27 November 2020.
  10. Web site: Aml Ameen . 1 August 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080731072006/http://www.amlameen.com/biography.html . 31 July 2008 . dead . dmy-all .
  11. Web site: Kellaway . Kate . Amma Asante: 'I'm bi-cultural, I walk the division that Belle walked every day' . the Guardian . 24 July 2021 . en . 18 May 2014.
  12. Web site: Naomi Campbell. Vogue. 7 November 2014. 9 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140809132920/http://www.vogue.com/voguepedia/Naomi_Campbell. dead.
  13. Web site: Keith Chegwin: 'Phil Collins let me sing his first song' . Digital Spy . Paul . Millar . 20 November 2011 . 15 June 2014.
  14. Web site: Julie Dawn Cole . IMDb . en.
  15. Web site: Past Students and Success Stories. Barbara Speake Stage School & Agency . 7 November 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141107142619/http://www.barbaraspeake.com/students.htm . 7 November 2014 .
  16. Web site: BBC Radio 4 - the Archers - Elizabeth Pargetter.
  17. Web site: Michelle Gayle. MTV Artists. 7 November 2014. 27 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141127190138/http://www.mtv.com/artists/michelle-gayle/. dead.
  18. Web site: Evita Onstage - London Cast.
  19. Web site: Duane Orpington (S3-7). 25 July 2017.
  20. Web site: Interview with Ian Congdon-Lee.
  21. Web site: Rhythm & Booze Issue 03 by Rhythm & Booze - Issuu. 10 January 2011 .
  22. Web site: Kwame Kwei-Armah. IMDb. 7 November 2014.
  23. News: Queen's birthday honours list 2012: OBE. 16 June 2012. The Guardian. 7 November 2014.
  24. Web site: The Barbara Speake Theatre School.
  25. Web site: David Parfitt. IMDb. 7 November 2014.
  26. Web site: Jeff Stevenson, Actor, Greater London . www.mandy.com . 24 July 2021.
  27. Web site: Sara Sugarman. 23 June 2021 .
  28. Web site: About Mark Summers. 19 June 2012. Move like Michael Jackson . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110728064840/http://www.bbc.co.uk/movelikemichaeljackson/about/marksummers.shtml . 28 July 2011. BBC Three.
  29. Web site: Bio . Paul Varney . 24 July 2021.
  30. Web site: Jack Wild. Independent.co.uk. 3 March 2006.
  31. The best of the boys for Kedar in Bennett's classroom comedy. York Press. Charles. Hutchinson. 4 June 2015. 21 January 2021.

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