Lord Sugar Opens Bushey Academy
27 March 2013, 16:30 | Updated: 27 March 2013, 16:32
Once branded Hertfordshire's "worst school" - the Bushey Hall School has been reborn today as the Bushey Academy - and the most improved in Hertfordshire.
Lord Alan Sugar today officially opened the striking new £30m state-of-the-art premises.
Lord Sugar, Principal Andrew Hemmings and Sponsor David Meller were joined by CEO of Viglen Bordan Tkachuk, students and their families.
The Academy, which replaced Bushey Hall School placed in Special Measures by Ofsted in 2009, is now the 35th most improved school in the country out of 5,272 and has once again smashed all previous records with 93% of students achieving five or more GCSEs, grades A* to C.
The Academy offers an innovative and individually targeted curriculum, built around the specialism of Business and Communication, plus an outstanding range of drama, art, music and media lessons. Guests had the opportunity to explore the premises and participate in various events culminating in a balloon race at 5pm where 1,500 balloons were released.
The Bushey Academy places ICT at the heart of creating a successful learning environment for its students, and awarded a £1.8million five-year contract to Viglen, for the supply of its ICT. A total of 1,350 students at the Academy will benefit from the technology provided by Viglen, which will deliver innovation through the provision of a complete end-to-end solution.
Viglen is also working closely with the Academy’s Senior Leadership Team to deliver a programme of training and Continued Professional Development (CPD) support that will help to embed the ICT into teaching and learning throughout the school.
Lord Sugar told Heart: "Principal, Andrew Hemmings and his team have done an outstanding job turning the school around and making it Hertfordshire’s most improved school and a true exemplar of best practice in education – their exam results speak for themselves. I’m delighted to be opening these stunning new premises, featuring an end-to-end ICT solution installed by Viglen. Technology plays a vital role in the learning environment, helping today’s students prepare and gain the skills required for employment."
Concluding, Andrew Hemmings, Principal, The Bushey Academy, said, “We are delighted to welcome Lord Sugar to the Bushey Academy. As education strives to meet the challenges of the 21st Century and the modern economy, visionary business leaders have an important part to play in setting the agenda and inspiring youngsters to make the most of the opportunities presented to them. Lord Sugar is an example of someone who has done just that; there is a palpable excitement about his visit and about having the opportunity to quiz him about his views.”