Capital City Academy


Capital City Academy is a specialist sports and arts Academy in Willesden, North West London, in the borough of Brent.

Design

The School was designed by architect Sir Norman Foster and engineers Buro Happold, and is sponsored by Sir Frank Lowe. Capital City Academy was built to replace its predecessor Willesden High School. Its buildings on the high school's playing fields were first used in 2003 and officially opened on 12 June 2003.

Location

It is situated near Willesden Sports and King Edward VII Sports Ground. Although near Willesden Green, the school is in the parish of , Willesden. The school is also located not far from Roundwood Park.

History

The school began as Willesden County Grammar School on Uffington Road in 1924 and the buildings were extended in 1932. It was one of five grammar schools run by the Willesden Education Committee from 1947. In September 1940, a bomb destroyed four classrooms; a V-1 flying bomb landed nearby in 1944 at the junction of Doyle Gardens and . For one year in 1966 it became Willesden Grammar-Technical School when it amalgamated with Willesden School of Engineering in Goodson Road earlier known as Leopold Road Comprehensive. In September 1967, it joined with Pound Lane School on to become a comprehensive school known as Willesden High School. In 2003, it became one of the first three in England, with the aim of attempting to overcome educational underachievement in deprived areas. At the time, Willesden High School had some of the worst GCSE results in the UK.

Uniform

It is expected that uniform expectations apply when students travel to and from the academy, which includes:
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair opened the Academy. Frank McCourt the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Angela's Ashes visited and signed copies of his books for the Gifted education group of students, reviewing the Carnegie Medal and Kate Greenaway Medal nominations of the year.

CCA in Media

The Children

The Children was a TV Mini Series aired on ITV in September 2008. The main character was a headteacher played by Inspector Morse actor, Kevin Whately. The scenes set at his school were filmed in the academy, with actual students, as extras.

Teachers TV

The Academy has been filmed for Teachers TV a number of times most notably in its first two years. where it goes into depth about the school on the original site of the Academy, Willesden High School.

Sports Hall

The Academy's main sports hall is home to the PAWS London Capital basketball team, one of the leading clubs based in the capital city. Having recently featured in the British Basketball League for three years, the Caps currently compete in Division 1 of the English Basketball League.

Alumni

Willesden High School