City Academy Norwich

City Academy Norwich is a secondary school in Norwich, England. It opened in September 2009, replacing Earlham High School. It is located near the University of East Anglia in Norwich. The Academy, an 11-16 school, is a local partnership, led by City College Norwich and working with University of East Anglia, Norfolk County Council and Norwich School.The academy specialises in Digital Technology and English.HistoryEarlham High School was a community comprehensive for boys and girls aged 12 to 18, with a specialism in sports. In 2008 it was one of the worst-performing secondary schools in England.The school was made an Academy and recruited a new Principal, David Brunton, formerly head at Wymondham High School. Within three years, there were marked improvements in attendance and behaviour, and the City Academy reached the top 1% in the whole country for its value-added score.Work began on an £18million new build in January 2011, and it was opened in May 2012. The new building was designed by Sheppard Robson Architects and Ramboll structural engineers and built by Kier Eastern. It includes radio and television studios and music rehearsal rooms.Mary Sparrow, formerly headteacher of Wexham School in Slough, succeeded David Brunton as principal in January 2015.PhilosophyThe school's philosophy includes "stage not age", i.e. pupils are able to study subjects and take exams when they are ready for them rather than at a set age. As an Academy, the school day was extended from ending at 3 p.m. to 3.40. This enabled them to condense Key Stage 3 from 3 years study to 2, allowing up to 3 years for GCSE studies.