Vale of York Academy
| Vale of York Academy | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
Rawcliffe Drive, Clifton , , YO30 6ZS England | |
| Coordinates | 53°58′34″N 1°06′02″W / 53.9761°N 1.1005°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Academy |
| Motto | Always the best |
| Established | As Canon Lee School in 1941 / As Vale of York Academy in 2015 |
| Local authority | City of York |
| Trust | Heartwood Learning Trust |
| Department for Education URN | 143864 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Principal | Gill Mills |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Age | 11 to 16 |
| Enrolment | 701 (August 2025)[1] |
| Colour | Maroon |
| Website | https://voy.hslt.academy/ |
Vale of York Academy, previously called Canon Lee School, is a co-educational secondary school located in Clifton, York, England. The school is still often referred to locally as Canon Lee.
History
Canon Lee was built in Clifton to serve the north-west suburbs of Rawcliffe, Clifton and Skelton. The doors opened in 1941. The first headmaster was Mr J Storey, and because of World War II the school was also used as a hospital and refuge shelter.
In 1972 the first extension was built to accommodate the large number of pupils and to bring the school up to date; this included a gym, science labs, and maths and textile classrooms. It was extended again at a cost of £4 million in 1999 to accommodate the influx of students when Queen Anne's School closed.[2]
In 2012, an all-weather 3G football pitch was opened at the school by former England manager Steve McClaren.[3]
The school was placed in special measures following an Ofsted inspection in 2015.[4] In September 2016 it was announced that Canon Lee would be renamed as the Vale of York Academy as part of a series of changes that include becoming part of Hope Learning Trust,[5] which later combined with Hull-based Sentamu Academy Learning Trust to form the Hope Sentamu Learning Trust,[6] now called Heartwood Learning Trust.[7]
References
- ^ Ofsted. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ Lewis, Haydn (27 March 2012). "Kevin Deadman retiring as head teacher of Canon Lee School after 18 years". The Press. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^ "Steve McClaren opens school's football pitches". York Press. June 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
- ^ Lewis, Haydn (27 November 2015). "Canon Lee School in Clifton York placed in special measures after damning Ofsted report". The Press. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^ "Canon Lee School to become Vale of York Academy". Minster FM. 27 September 2016. Archived from the original on 28 September 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^ "Hope Sentamu Learning Trust - York and Hull schools merger". The Press (York). 1 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ "HEARTWOOD LEARNING TRUST". 10 March 2025. Retrieved 10 September 2025.