The school traces its roots to Carlisle & County High School for Girls, which opened at 19 Castle Street in January 1884 for 36 girls. The site is now the Bookcase Antiquarian Bookshop. The school was a girls' grammar school. In 1909 a new site was built at Lismore Place for Carlisle High School. The school had houses of Netherby, Greystoke, Lanercost and Linstock. In 1904 the school was transferred to Cumberland County Council and later became St Aidan's County High School, a co-educational comprehensive school. The school was a girls' grammar school for 86 years until 1970.
Academy
In September 2008, St Aidan's County High School and the North Cumbria Technology College merged to form Richard Rose Central Academy. The school was subsequently rebuilt on the former St Aidan's site in 2010, costing £31m. The academy was first sponsored by Eddie Stobart owner Andrew Tinkler and local businessman Brian Scowcroft.
Protests
In January 2009, there were protests by parents and pupils regarding poor quality education and school facilities. The school was found to be inadequate by Ofsted and was placed in special measures, with the headmaster and chief executive being immediately replaced.. In 2019, More protests continued about Rules being too strict. Ceri Bacon, the current Principal, a day later, October 10th, announced the rules will continue. Many parents were unhappy, and a boy with a “Unacceptable Haircut” was also excluded. The Public reported plastic bottles and stones being thrown at the windows of Central Academy.
Positive Response
Sponsored by United Learning since Sept 2014, the Academy has gone from strength to strength and has once again posted an improving set of results for GCSE's and in the sixth form. Under new leadership and management the Academy is now rated as Good by Ofsted and is one of the most rapidly improving schools in the County in terms of the new government measure of Progress 8. Improvements have been attributed to a strong stance on expectations and behaviour and the move towards disruption-free teaching.
Federation
Since September 2014 Richard Rose Central Academy is sponsored by United Learning. The school is in a federation with Richard Rose Morton Academy and the schools share a sixth form. The sixth form offers students the option to study from a range of A-levels, BTECs and vocational courses as programmes of study.
