Spires Academy

The Spires Academy is a secondary school for students aged 11–16 in Canterbury, Kent. There is no sixth form. The school has dual specialist status in business and enterprise, and in visual, creative and performing arts. Spires is independently governed, but funded by the sponsors and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. The Academy is non-selective, welcoming students of all backgrounds and abilities, and it is free to attend. The Academy is subject, like other schools, to regular inspections, but is managed by an ‘Academy Trust’ rather than a local education authority. According to Ofsted, boys do worse at maths (which the department of needs much improvement) and generally the school needs to improve (academically).The school has developed strong links with Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School.HistoryThe school is located on the former site of Sturry Secondary Modern School, later renamed Frank Montgomery School, and is the only secondary school in Sturry.The academy replaced the former Frank Montgomery School building near Sturry in 2007, taking in the pupils from the former institution, and also replacing the former school which had been in special measures and judged by the government as failing. In March 2011, building started work on a new replacement building, this was carried out by Carillion (management) and Gallagher (construction). and completed in July 2012. Ready for the new school year in September 2012, the new £13.2m building with state of the art academic facilities with associated sports buildings and facilities. The predominantly naturally-ventilated design also uses biomass boilers as part of its heat source. The building achieved a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.