Sawston Village College is an academy school in Sawston, Cambridgeshire, England. It was the first community college and Village College in the country,[1] and is currently the Sunday Times State 11-16 Secondary School of the Year.[2] It was founded in 1930[3] and realised the vision of Henry Morris, then Chief Education Officer for Cambridgeshire.[4]
| Sawston Village College | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
New Road , , CB22 3BP England | |
| Coordinates | 52°07′35″N 0°09′49″E / 52.12644°N 0.16373°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Academy |
| Motto | CARE |
| Established | 1930 |
| Founder | Henry Morris |
| Local authority | Cambridgeshire County Council |
| Department for Education URN | 136775 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Headteacher | Jonathan Russell |
| Staff | 110 |
| Gender | coeducational |
| Age | 11 to 16 |
| Enrolment | 1060 |
| Colour(s) | Burgundy, White |
| Website | http://www.sawstonvc.org/ |
In 1924, Henry Morris wrote a Memorandum on the Provision of Education and Social Facilities for the Countryside, with Special Reference to Cambridgeshire.[5] Morris wrote that:[6]
- the village college would be "the community centre of the neighbourhood";
- "it would not only be the training ground for the art of living, but the place in which life is lived";
- "the village college could lie athwart the daily lives of the community it served; and in it the conditions would be realised under which education would not be an escape from reality, but an enrichment and transformation of it".
Morris' vision of a school indivisible from its community still holds true today at Sawston, the first village college. Its circa 1030 pupils aged 11 – 16[7] share the campus with adults who come to the college for a range of purposes: education, socialising, leisure and sports.[8]
The college also has the only youth-led cinema in the country. Its pupils take responsibility for the function of the cinema – front of house, projection and business planning; offering regular screenings to the local community.[9]
On 1 June 2011, Sawston Village College gained academy status, effectively ending Cambridgeshire County Council's control and funding of the school.[10]
On 6 September 2012, 14:15 BST, one wing of the original college building was devastated by a fire. The Walnut gallery, Main Staff Room, and Sawston Public Library were destroyed, and the Henry Morris Hall was flooded from the hosepipes.[11] The staff evacuated the pupils. Everyone was accounted for, and there were no casualties. The incident is thought to have been an act of arson.[12]
Sawston Village College was crowned the UK's State 11-16 Secondary School of the Year by the Sunday Times 32nd edition[13] in 2024.[14]
Notable Alumni
edit- Heather Craney - Actress
- Peter Steinberg - USA Rugby Head Coach
- Ray Freeman - English Footballer
- Michael Birch - Founder of Bebo.
Head Pupils
edit| Year | Head Girl | Head Boy |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | Emma Russell | Isaac Arena |
| 2023-24 | Abbie Wightman | Aymeric Tsyanov-Bodounov |
| 2022-23 | Lucy Graham | William Murlis |
| 2021-22 | Keli Darkwa | Tyler Wright |
| 2020-21 | Lexi Small | George Mack |
| 2019-20 | Nellie Coss | Oscar Toogood |
| 2018-29 | Amelia Perry | Sullivan Bishop |
| 2017-18 | Evie Sausman | Theodore Burr |
| 2016-17 | Niamh Downing | Keilan Grant |
| 2015-16 | Holly Bootman | Joe Lever |
| 2014-15 | Hannah Jones | Kiran Jones |
| 2013-14 | Rosanna Larter | Fredrik Barnes |
| 2012-13 | Charlotte Davies | Tim Savill |
| 2011-12 | Lily Pickard | Michael Middleton |
| 2010-11 | Hannah Long | James Jackson |
| 2009-10 | Lucy Fitzpatrick | Ajay Jones |
| 2008-09 | Ritwika Sengupta | Thomas Byres |
Feeder schools
editChildren from the following schools generally start attending Sawston Village College at age 11:
- Bellbird Primary School, Sawston
- Icknield Primary School, Sawston
- Babraham CofE Primary School
- William Westley Primary School, Whittlesford
- Duxford Primary School
- Stapleford Primary School
- Great and Little Shelford Primary School
- Fawcett Primary School
Destination Schools
editStudents continuing in Further Education beyond 16 generally attend one of the following:
References
edit- ^ "Village college", Wikipedia, 7 June 2024, retrieved 14 December 2024
- ^ "Best schools in the UK 2025 | The Times league table". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ "Our History". sawstonvc.org. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ Polsom, Rachael (1 April 2021). "Henry Morris - The Life and Legacy". Cambridgeshire Village Colleges. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ Morris, Henry (1924). The Village College: Being a Memorandum on the Provision of Educational and Social Facilities for the Countryside, with Special References to Cambridgeshire. University Press.
- ^ "Infed.org | Henry Morris, village colleges and community schools". infed.org. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "Principal's Welcome". sawstonvc.org. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ "Community". sawstonvc.org. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ "Sawston Cinema | A cinema run by Sawston Village College". Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ "Cambridgeshire Online | Sawston Village College". info.cambridgeshire.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ "Fire at Sawston Village College damages library". BBC News. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ "Sawston's fire-hit library given £1.25m rebuild grant". BBC News. 20 February 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ "Best schools in the UK 2025 | The Times league table". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ Senior, Matthew (6 December 2024). "The Cambs schools named among the best in East Anglia in Sunday Times guide". Cambridgeshire Live. Retrieved 14 December 2024.