Harton Academy

Harton Academy (formerly Harton Technology College, or Harton Comprehensive School) is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in South Shields, South Tyneside, England; which is currently rated as ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted. It was founded on the existing site in 1936.

Harton Academy
Address
Lisle Road South Shields , South Tyneside , NE34 6DL England
Coordinates	54°58′33″N 1°24′27″W
Information
Type	Academy
Motto	Tradition, Innovation, Excellence
Established	1885 (as South Shields High School)
Founder	The Illuminare Multi Academy Trust (created from Harton Technology College)
Local authority	South Tyneside
Department for Education URN	144204 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Chair of the Board of Directors	Scott Duffy
Chief Executive Officer	Sir Ken Gibson
Acting Headteacher	David Amos
Gender	Mixed
Age	11 to 18
Enrolment	1,367 as of October 2023
Colour(s)	Royal blue, yellow
Website	http://www.hartonacademy.co.uk/

In 2006, Ofsted rated the school as 'outstanding' and it has received three Government Achievement awards, as well as being named in the 'top 50 most improved specialist schools' throughout the UK. In 2009 Ofsted highlighted Harton as one of 12 outstanding schools serving disadvantaged communities.[1] In 2013, they delivered a similar report.[2]

As part of the Building Schools for the Future initiative, in 2010 the school completed twenty-five million pounds' worth of construction[3] on a new sixth-form building—holding specially designed DT, maths and science blocks—which initially housed existing pupils while refurbishment of the main building was under way. The school designed the new building specifically for sixth form usage with whole-school maths, science, design technology and cafeteria, whilst the refurbished old block contains English, humanities, computer science, music and modern foreign languages. In the summer of 2015, the swimming pool facilities were redeveloped to the cost of £400,000.[4]

In 2011, the National College for Teaching and Leadership announced Harton Technology College as one of the first one hundred teaching schools to be designated from the start of 2011–2012 academic year; one of only five secondary schools in the north east, and one of only fifty-six secondary schools in the country, to receive the recognition. This new designation entitles the academy to lead the training and professional development of staff from across the North East region.[5]

On 1 September 2017, Harton Technology College was granted Multi Academy Status by the DfE and is now known as Harton Academy, part of The Illuminare Multi Academy Trust (MAT).[6]

In 2022, Ofsted rated the academy as ‘requires improvement’. The former Executive Headteacher, Sir Ken Gibson, expressed his disagreement in a message to parents and carers, and through an article for the Shields Gazette. He stated that a number of factual accuracy checks had taken place, followed by a formal complaint to Ofsted. [7][8]