Acton High School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in the Acton area of the London Borough of Ealing, England.
Admissions
It has students between the ages of 11 to 18 and the headteacher is currently Ken Mackenzie. In September 2012, the school offered places in a newly-established sixth form.
It is on Gunnersbury Lane (A4000) just north of Acton Town tube station.
History
Grammar school
It was known as Acton County Grammar School, which opened in 1906 for 200 boys. It was the first purpose-built county grammar school in Middlesex. In 1958, it began admitting girls, becoming fully co-educational in 1966. In 1965, the school's administration moved from Middlesex County Council to the London Borough of Ealing. When proposals for going comprehensive appeared in 1966, parents took the LEA to court and lost.
Comprehensive
It became a comprehensive in 1970, when Ealing borough adopted the three tier system, and was known as Reynolds High School, named after local politician Gerry Reynolds. The 18-year-old "graduation" year of 1976 produced 4 university students out of an intake of 180 in 1969. School colours were brown and cream, with a badge showing a ring of oak leaves around a portcullis with the school name superimposed. The school roll in 1979 amounted to 1040 pupils and until its final years, consisted of 8 forms per year. During the mid 1970s, the neighbouring (opened 1962) Ealing Mead County school off Popes Lane, was found to have serious structural problems. After only 8 years of use, Ealing Mead had to be closed and demolished. As a result, the pupils of the school were scattered around the local schools and Reynolds High School absorbed a significant proportion of them. Reynolds High School closed in July 1984 primarily due to falling school roll and re-opened in September the same year as Acton High School on the merger with the Faraday High School, formerly based at Bromyard Avenue. The old brick buildings, dating from 1939 were demolished in 2005 and a new school building built on the same site.
Facilities
Reynolds Sports Centre
Reynolds Sports Centre is a sport and leisure centre building adjoined with Acton High School's main building. The sports and leisure centre is managed by the council’s Active Ealing team. The facility is available for students and for public use after school hours. It includes a sports hall, fitness gym, dance studio and two multi use outdoor games areas. Each facility is available for hire.
Notable former pupils
Acton County Grammar School
- Sir Austin Bide, chemist and industrialist
- Prof Terence Burlin, radiology physicist
- Roger Daltrey CBE, musician, founder member of The Who
- John Entwistle, musician, founder member of The Who
- John "Speedy" Keen, musician for Thunderclap Newman, who wrote the 1960s song Something in the Air and a song for The Who, Armenia City in the Sky
- Colin Phipps, petroleum geologist and Labour MP from 1974-9 for Dudley West
- Pete Townshend, musician, founder member of The Who
- Bernard Wex OBE, civil engineer and bridge designer, notably of the Humber Bridge and the Foyle Bridge
- Leonard E. H. Williams CBE DFC, Chief Executive from 1967-81 of the Nationwide Building Society
- Anthony Valentine, actor
- Ian Gillan, musician, lead singer of Deep Purple
Reynolds High School
- Warren Neill, professional footballer with QPR and Portsmouth FC
Acton High School
- Paul Bruce, Professional footballer (1996-2008)
- Gemma Cairney, BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ and fashion stylist
- Jamal Edwards, entrepreneur/founder of SBTV
- Caroline O'Connor, Olympic rower
References
External links
- Official website
- EduBase
