The Belvedere Academy

Infobox UK school
name = The Belvedere Academy


size = 200px
latitude = 53.3852
longitude = -2.9574
dms = x
motto =
motto_pl =
established = 1880 (Liverpool High School)
1911 (The Belvedere School)
2007 (The Belvedere Academy)
approx =
closed =
c_approx =
type = Academy, GDST
religion = non-denominational
president =
head_label = Principal
head = Mr Peter Kennedy
r_head_label =
r_head =
chair_label = Chairman of Academy Trust Board
chair = Professor Susan Iversen
founder = Girls' Public Day School Company
founder_pl = x
specialist = Modern Foreign Languages; Science
specialist_pl = x
street = 17 Belvidere Road
Princes Town
city = Liverpool
county =
country = England
postcode = L8 3TF
LEA = Liverpool
ofsted =
staff =
enrollment = c. 500
gender = Girls
lower_age = 11
upper_age = 18
houses =
colours =
publication =
free_label_1 =
free_1 =
free_label_2 =
free_2 =
free_label_3 =
free_3 =
website =http://www.belvedereacademy.net/
website_name = www.belvedereacademy.net

The Belvedere Academy is an independent all-ability state-funded girls’ secondary school in Liverpool, England. Its predecessor, The Belvedere School, was founded in 1880 as Liverpool High School. It is non-denominational, non-feepaying, and one of the 29 schools of the Girls' Day School Trust. In September 2007 it became an Academy, as one of the first two independent schools in the UK to do so.

About the School

The school is situated in Belvidere Road (spelled differently), overlooking Princes Park. The Belvedere Academy now has over 500 pupils aged 11-18 and is part of the Girls' Day School Trust. The school focuses on both academic achievements and extra-curricular activities, with many pupils playing for the county and international teams in rounders, lacrosse and netball.

Its predecessor, The Belvedere School, was rated the best school in Liverpool by the official league tablesFact|date=August 2008, having gained 100% 5 A-C passes at GCSE in 2006; 99% of all exams taken were passed at grades A-CFact|date=August 2008. Every year nearly all the Sixth Form students moved on to university with between 3-4 pupils gaining entrance to Oxford and CambridgeFact|date=August 2008.

The Academy holds dual Specialist Language College and Science College status. Ten percent of the intake are selected for their aptitude in languages.

History

The school was founded in 1880 as Liverpool High School, by the then Girls' Public Day School Company (which became the Girls' Day School Trust). The first building was at 17 Belvidere Road, and the school gradually acquired other premises in the road. The name was changed to The Belvedere School in 1911. The school was a Direct Grant school while this scheme existed (1944 to 1976), and later took part in the Assisted Places scheme.

From 2000 onwards a unique 'Open Access' scheme was set up by the Sutton Trust in partnership with the Girls' Day School Trust, to fund girls who would otherwise not be able to attend the school due to financial circumstances. This meant that girls admitted into the school were admitted solely on academic potential. In the first three years of the scheme 71% of the entrants had all or part of their fees paid, of whom 32% had their fees fully paid through the Open Access Scheme. The first 'access girls' entered the school in September 2000 and achieved record results in their GCSEs, taken Summer 2005.

The school's buildings comprise five Victorian villas and some more recent buildings. A major building programme is under way to create a new three-storey teaching block which will include science laboratories, dance and drama studios and ICT facilities.

Changes

As a result of the change to Academy status there are ongoing changes to the way the school is organised and operates.

The change to an Academy resulted in the abolition of school fees, as well as a change in the way in which the school selects its pupils. Unlike grammar and other selective schools, the Belvedere Academy may select only 10% of its pupils by academic potential and fair banding is now employed to ensure intake of the full breadth of academic ability.

At the same time that the senior school became an Academy, the junior school was established as a stand-alone non-state funded preparatory school for girls aged three to 11, The Hamlets. [cite web|url=http://www2.gdst.net/hamlets/aboutus.html|title=About The Hamlets: History|accessdate=2008-05-13]

Notable Alumnae

*Rose Heilbron (1914-2006), barrister
*Linda Grant (b.1951), journalist
*Esther McVey (b.1967), journalist and television presenter

References

*reflist

External links

* [http://www.belvedereacademy.net/ Official website]
* [http://www2.gdst.net/school_page.php?id=3 GDST website]
* [http://www.suttontrust.com/ Sutton Trust]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/05/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/341_6039.stm/ BBC Education League Tables listing]
*Cite news
last = Lampl
first = Sir Peter
authorlink=Peter Lampl
title = Open independent school doors to all
work = The Independent
date = 2006-04-25
accessdate=2008-02-20
url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/main.jhtml?xml=/education/2006/05/24/edindi24.xml
* Cite news
last = Smithers
first = Rebecca
title = Tories back calls to open up independent school
work = The Guardian
date =2006-04-25
accessdate=2008-02-20
url = http://education.guardian.co.uk/admissions/story/0,,1781877,00.html