Thistley Hough Academy is a mixed community secondary school located in the village of Penkhull in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The school was built in 1938 as a girls' grammar school, housed in a classical Art Deco building. The old building has since been demolished and a new £15,000,000 school has been constructed. In September 2011, the new building's opening ceremony took place. The new building was opened in May 2013 by the Chairman of Stoke City Football Club, Peter Coates.
Identity
The academy's motto, “my open eyes desire the truth”, was adopted when the school first opened. It is adapted from the Alfred Lord Tennyson poem “Freedom”. The original line appears in the following stanza of the poem: “Her open eyes desire the truth. The wisdom of a thousand years Is in them. May perpetual youth Keep dry their light from tears;” It was re-established as the school motto in 2012.
History
The school was first opened in 1938. The current academy colours, green and purple, date from the school's inception as a grammar school for girls. The first headmistress, Miss Bamber, was a member of the suffragette movement. Local pottery companies donated pieces of pottery for the school's reception area. The pottery is still displayed in the school library today.
House system
Thistley Hough has developed a house system linked into the pottery industry within Stoke-on-Trent. The four houses are: Each house has a house captain who is responsible for overall control and organisation of house activities throughout the year. Houses compete throughout the year in various competitions from team building, sports, academic challenges and spelling bees. Houses are awarded points and every term the winning house is celebrated during a whole school assembly. The school also operates a student leadership and prefect system. Student leaders and prefects are elected at the end of year ten and take part in several school activities in order to promote the key values and aims set out by the principal.
At the start of each academic year, Thistley Hough has 150 places available for new year seven students. Sometimes more are admitted if an exception is made. Thistley Hough has adopted the ‘Admissions Criteria for Community Schools’ as determined by Stoke-on-Trent Education Service.
Uniform
There have been several variations in uniform since the school opened as a grammar school. Originally, a shirt, tie, mid-calf skirt and green blazer. This changed with the introduction of boys to the school, in the 1970s, due to changes in the education system. For the majority of Thistley Hough's recent past pupils wore a black blazer, trouser/skirt and a tie. The tie would embroidered with the particular colour that represented the student's year group. Female students in years 7-11 now wear a purple blazer with grey stripes, emblazoned with the school badge, a white shirt, a school tie and either grey trousers or a knee-length grey skirt. A plain grey or purple Dupatta may also be worn. Male students in years 7-11 wear a purple blazer with grey stripes, emblazoned with the school badge, a white shirt, a school tie and grey trousers. In Year 10 and 11, students on the leadership team wear a dark green blazer with the school badge on the pocket. This signifies their role within the school and allows their fellow students to recognise them.
Thistley Hough reunion group
The Thistley Hough Reunion group has been in place for a number of years and recently celebrated the last reunion meeting in the old building. There are five members of the reunion group who organise refreshments at parent's evenings, host events, Slimming World on Thursdays, assist with reading and assist the school whenever they can.
