Francis Combe Academy


Francis Combe Academy is an 11–18 mixed, secondary school and sixth form with academy status in Garston, Watford, Hertfordshire, England. It was formerly a community school that was established in 1954 and adopted its present name after becoming an academy in 2009. It is part of the Meller Educational Trust.

History

The school opened in 1954 as Francis Combe School, a secondary modern school. It was named after Francis Combe, a Hemel Hempstead landowner who founded a charity school in Watford in 1651, with a bequest of £10 per annum.
It became the first comprehensive in Watford in 1966. In February 2008, the school was given permission to explore becoming an academy, sponsored by West Herts College and the University of Hertfordshire. The academy opened in September 2009, specialising in English, art and media. In 2011 the four old houses, Esher, Matisse, Kandinsky, and Picasso were replaced by Brunel, Turing, Curie, and Rowling.

Facilities

All of the academy's buildings were rebuilt in 2012 except for the English and Maths block, which was built in 2001. The £25 million rebuild, which connects to the older building, features three storeys and houses Science, ICT & Business and Humanities. The sports department includes a large sports hall, a dance studio and changing rooms. Two new outdoor spaces, the MUGA and the Agora. A new entrance foyer and a new art department focuses on open plan and collaborative working with no fixed walls between classrooms.

Notable alumni

Francis Combe School and Community College