Joseph Leckie Academy


Joseph Leckie Academy is a secondary school located in The Delves area of Walsall in the West Midlands, England. It is situated to the south of Walsall centre, near to the Bescot Stadium, home of Walsall F.C..
Construction of the school commenced in 1938 and was completed in August 1939 at a cost of £62,993. It opened as "Fullbrook Senior Boys' and Girls' School". It is named after Joseph Alexander Leckie, a politician who served as Mayor of Walsall, Chairman of the Education Committee and as a Member of Parliament from 1931 till his death in 1939. Following Leckie's death, the Education Committee renamed the school in memory of him.
As of February 2007, it had 1,234 pupils on roll and 231 pupils on roll in the sixth form. Many of the pupils come from areas suffering from social problems. Approximately two thirds of the pupils are from ethnic minorities and speak English as a second language.
An inspection by OFSTED in 2007 noted that there were problems with staff recruitment and retaining staff. The headteacher was Keith Whittlestone until his death in late March 2020. Also noted in the OFSTED inspection was the poor state of school buildings, an issue which was highlighted by students who compiled a DVD showing the extent to which the buildings needed work. Rat and masonry problems were outlined in the DVD which was presented to Lord Adonis at a youth event in Birmingham. The DVD prompted a visit to the school by the Education Minister Jacqui Smith.
In June 2009 a £6 million teaching block was opened as Phase 1 of the rebuilding of the school. The original building in the school is to be demolished when Phase 2 is completed, funded by the Building Schools for the Future initiative.
In October 2009 OFSTED returned to find a totally different school. Its main findings were the high standard of care that is provided by dedicated staff, they also said that the school was led by a highly respected head teacher until his death in March 2020. Ofsted also said that the teaching was good and there are some outstanding practices.
On 1 February 2012, the school became an Academy, and began using the name Joseph Leckie Academy.