Ackworth School is an independent school located in the village of High Ackworth, near Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. It is one of eight Quaker Schools in England. The school (or more accurately its Head) is a member of the Headmasters' & Headmistresses' Conference and SHMIS The Head is Kathryn Bell, who succeeded Peter Simpson in 2009. The Deputy Heads are William Yates and Jeffrey Swales.
The school has a nursery that takes children aged 2 1/2 to 4, a Junior Department that takes children age 5 to 11, and the Senior School for students aged 11 to 18. The boarding facilities cater for Senior School pupils only.
Originally it was a boarding school for Quaker children. Today most of the school's pupils are day pupils. About half of the boarding pupils are from overseas, and are predominantly Asian, although there are increasing numbers of boarders from other countries, particularly Eastern Europe.
Most of today's pupils are not Quakers, but the school retains a strong Quaker ethos and is able to offer means-tested Bursary awards to children from Quaker and non-Quaker families. There is a very short Quaker-style silence at assembly and before meals.
Read more about Ackworth School: History, Union With Other Quaker Schools, Alumni
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“Nevertheless, no school can work well for children if parents and teachers do not act in partnership on behalf of the children’s best interests. Parents have every right to understand what is happening to their children at school, and teachers have the responsibility to share that information without prejudicial judgment.... Such communication, which can only be in a child’s interest, is not possible without mutual trust between parent and teacher.”
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