Pool Academy Explained

Pool Academy
Coordinates:50.2302°N -5.2715°W
Head Label:Principal
Head:Nick Ward
Address:Church Road
Postcode:TR15 3PZ
Dfeno:908/4163
Urn:136614
Capacity:800
Enrolment:904
Gender:Mixed
Lower Age:11
Upper Age:16
Colours:Black and Gold
Publication:Pool Post
Website:www.poolacademy.co.uk

Pool Academy is a mixed secondary school with academy status, located in Pool in the English county of Cornwall.[1]

History

Although other schools had been in the area previously the original Pool School building was opened in 1896. In 1973 work began on a new site across Church Rd and adjacent to Trevenson Church. The school operated between both sites until 2003 when new buildings were added as part of the PFI Schools building scheme.[2] The now listed Victorian school is currently being converted into housing. The school has been known as Pool Comprehensive School and Pool School and Community College before gaining specialist status when it was renamed Pool Business and Enterprise College. The school was converted to academy status on 1 April 2011 and was renamed Pool Academy.

Pool Academy offers GCSEs as programmes of study for pupils. The school is also the home ground of Duchy Hockey Club.[3]

In 2016, Dagmara Przybysz, a 16-year-old student of Pool Academy, was found hanged in the school's bathroom.[4] During an inquest, testimony was reportedly received that she had suffered bullying over her Polish nationality.[5] However the school had received no reports of racism [6] and the coroner recorded an open verdict concluding that there was no evidence of mental health issues “or any significant racism or bullying issues immediately prior to death"

In January 2019, the Department for Education (DfE) named it among the "Worst Schools In The Country."[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Welcome to Pool Academy . Poolacademy.co.uk . 2014-06-10.
  2. News: School improvements complete. 23 January 2004.
  3. Web site: Duchy Hockey Club Home Pitch . duchyhockeyclub.com . 2014-06-10.
  4. Web site: Polish teenager found hanged in school toilets was told she 'did not belong in UK', inquest hears . . 18 July 2017 . 2017-07-18.
  5. Web site: Polish-born schoolgirl, 16, found dead after bullying, inquest told . . 17 July 2017 . 2017-07-18.
  6. News: Open verdict on death of Polish-born teenager after claims of bullying. Press Association. 2017-07-19. The Guardian. 2017-07-28. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  7. Web site: The Cornwall schools named among the worst in the country . 24 January 2019 . 2019-09-23.