Erasmus Darwin Academy

Erasmus Darwin Academy
Address
Pool Road Burntwood , Staffordshire , WS7 3QW England
Information
Type	Academy
Motto	Excellence for all
Established	2011
Local authority	Staffordshire County Council
Department for Education URN	136886 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Principal	Phil Walklate[1]
Gender	Mixed
Age	11 to 18
Enrolment	1,136 (January 2023)[1]
Website	www.eda.staffs.sch.uk

Erasmus Darwin Academy (previously Chasetown High School, then Chasetown Specialist Sports College) is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status in the Chasetown area of Burntwood in Staffordshire, England.

History

Chasetown High School opened in 1970. Its gym was attacked by arsonists in 2004 and had to be rebuilt. This work was completed in 2006, following which the school bought a field opposite Pool Road as an extension for more field activities. The road was closed and now is part of the school grounds. After the new gym was built the school gained Specialist Sports College status.

The school converted to an academy in 2011 and was renamed to commemorate Erasmus Darwin, the 18th-century physician and natural philosopher who lived nearby at Lichfield.

In 2022, The prime minister at the time Rishi Sunak visited the school.^[2]

Facilities

The school has a modern sports centre with a large sports hall, dance studio and gymnasium, a high quality, full-sized Astro-Turf facility, information technology rooms, design technology workshops, a Sixth Form Centre, a theatre with tiered seating, a Library Resource Centre, and science laboratories.

There are eight hard-court tennis courts and extensive playing fields providing opportunities for many sports including rugby, cricket, football, athletics and hockey.

Alumni

Chasetown High School

• Mike Garmston, former chief physiotherapist to the British Olympic athletics team in the mid-1990s, a former athlete, husband of sprinter Sonia Lannaman, and father of footballer Bradley Garmston
• Jimmy Hill, radio broadcaster
• Kim Betts, gymnast, bodybuilder, and TV presenter best known as Lightning in the ITV show Gladiators, where she was the longest-serving female star^[3]
• Matty Fryatt, Premier League footballer and coach
• Hannah Hampton, Chelsea and England football goalkeeper
• Tom Leak, footballer

References

52°40′05″N 1°56′13″W / 52.6681°N 1.9370°W / 52.6681; -1.9370