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Unity College
Address
Towneley Holmes Burnley, Lancashire, BB11 3EN England
Coordinates	53°46′59″N 2°13′16″W / 53.783°N 2.221°W / 53.783; -2.221
Information
Type	Foundation school
Motto	Unity, Passion, Respect
Established	2006
Local authority	Lancashire
Department for Education URN	135003 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Chair of Governors	A. Kelly
Head teacher	Jane Richardson
Gender	Co-educational
Age	11 to 16
Enrolment	1299
Capacity	1200
Colour(s)	purple
Website	http://www.unity-college.com/

Unity College is a mixed 11-16 comprehensive school in Burnley, Lancashire, England.

History

Former school

Towneley High School originally opened in 1941. During its history it had been a technical school, an all-boys school, and latterly a mixed 11-16 community school. It was the first Lancashire school to be awarded by Investors in People.

Early history

The college initially occupied the former Towneley High School, but moved to a state of the art new £33m building in September 2010 as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme. The school was named by a local pupil, Heather Ashworth, who won a competition launched by the local radio station 2BR. The new school's first head teacher, Sally Cryer, had previously been head at Towneley. The school is located in Towneley Park, and the county council's decision to site the new building, on playing-fields close to the old school, rather than reusing the existing site, was contentious. Despite plans to turn the old site into parkland, objections from local residents prompted the borough council's refusal to sell the land, triggering a 2007 public inquiry that subsequently backed the plans.

The 20 January 2011 edition of Question Time was broadcast from Unity College, with some pupils in the audience.

Attainment

In 2007, the school's value-added measure was 971 (national average 1000), which placed it in the bottom 5% nationally for adding value between the end of Key Stage 2 and the end of Key Stage 4. In 2009 the college had increased its attainment to 29% 5 A*-C passes including English and Maths. The college has also improved its 5A*-C measure from below 30% to 64% in just three years.

Notable former pupils

• Ross Sykes, professional footballer
• Luke Jordan, English footballer

Towneley High School

• Dr Christine Braddock DBE, Chief Executive of Birmingham Metropolitan College and High Sheriff of the West Midlands (2013–14).
• Alice (Anne) Nutter, Chumbawamba musician and writer.
• David Readman, singer.
• Stella Reid, TV nanny.

References

1. ^ "Unity College". Get Information about Schools. Gov.UK. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
2. "Our School... Towneley High School, Burnley". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. 10 December 2001. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
3. "New Burnley super schools open - PHOTOS". Burnley Express. Johnston Press. 6 September 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
4. "Heather's honour". Burnley Express. Johnston Press. 19 May 2005. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
5. Charlotte Bradshaw (13 January 2006). "Inquiry demand over school bid". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
6. "Bid to stop new school plan fails". BBC News. 18 January 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
7. Tom Moseley (21 January 2011). "Burnley hosts BBC1 Question Time debate". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
8. "Schools that add the least value". BBC News. 10 January 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
9. "Unity College claim county title!". Burnley Express. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
10. "'Burnley girl' made a Dame". Burnley Express. Johnston Press. 3 January 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2016.

v t e Schools in Lancashire
Primary schools	Maharishi School Stanah Primary School
Secondary schools	Academy@Worden Accrington Academy Albany Academy Alder Grange School All Hallows RC High School All Saints' RC School Archbishop Temple School Ashton Community Science College Baines School Balshaw's CE High School Bay Leadership Academy Bishop Rawstorne CE Academy Blessed Trinity RC College Bowland High Broughton High School Brownedge St Mary's RC High School Burnley High School Burscough Priory Academy Cardinal Allen Catholic High School Carnforth High School Carr Hill High School Central Lancaster High School Christ the King RC High School Colne Primet Academy Corpus Christi RC High School Fleetwood High School Fulwood Academy Garstang Community Academy Haslingden High School Hodgson Academy The Hollins Holy Cross RC High School Hutton Grammar School The Hyndburn Academy Lathom High School Longridge High School Lostock Hall Academy Lytham St Annes High School Maharishi School Marsden Heights Community College Millfield Science & Performing Arts College Moor Park High School Morecambe Bay Academy Mount Carmel RC High School Ormskirk School Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Engineering College Our Lady's Catholic College Our Lady's Catholic High School Park High School Parklands High School Pendle Vale College Penwortham Girls' High School Penwortham Priory Academy Preston Muslim Girls High School Rhyddings Ribblesdale High School Ripley St Thomas CE Academy St Aidan's CE High School St Augustine's RC High School St Bede's, Lytham St Annes St Bede's, Ormskirk St Cecilia's RC High School St Christopher's CE High School St Mary's Catholic High School St Michael's CE High School Ss John Fisher and Thomas More RC High School Shuttleworth College Sir John Thursby Community College Southlands High School Tarleton Academy Unity College Up Holland High School The Valley Leadership Academy Walton-le-Dale High School Wellfield Academy West Craven High School Whitworth Community High School
Grammar schools	Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School Clitheroe Royal Grammar School Lancaster Girls' Grammar School Lancaster Royal Grammar School
Private schools	AKS Lytham Heathland School Jamea Al Kauthar Kirkham Grammar School Lancaster Steiner School Moorland School Oakhill School Rossall School St Annes College Grammar School Scarisbrick Hall School Stonyhurst College Stonyhurst Saint Mary's Hall
Further education	Accrington and Rossendale College Burnley College Cardinal Newman College Lancashire College Lancaster and Morecambe College Lancaster University School of Mathematics Nelson and Colne College Preston's College Runshaw College
Defunct	Cowan Bridge School Edge End High School Farnworth Grammar School Glenburn Sports College Hameldon Community College King Edward VII and Queen Mary School Lowther College Mansfield High School Ormskirk Grammar School Preston Catholic College Rivington Park School Royal Albert Hospital Skerton Community High School Thomas Whitham Sixth Form UTC Lancashire Walton High School Wennington School

v t e Culture and infrastructure of the Borough of Burnley
Transport	Burnley Bus Company Burnley bus station East Lancashire line The Witch Way Transdev Northern Blue Railway stations Burnley Barracks Burnley Central Burnley Manchester Road Hapton Rose Grove Disused stations Padiham Holme New Hall Bridge Towneley Thorneybank Roads A56 A671 A678 M65
Education	Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College Burnley College Burnley High School Sir John Thursby Community College Shuttleworth College Thomas Whitham Sixth Form UCFB Unity College
Sport	Burnley Cricket Club Burnley F.C. Burnley Rugby Club Lowerhouse Cricket Club Padiham F.C.
History	Angels Bank Hall Colliery Burnley Barracks Burnley Building Society Burnley Coalfield Burnley Corporation Tramways Burnley Grammar School Burnley power station Burnley Rural District Butterworth & Dickinson Grenfell Cloth Hameldon Community College Hapton Valley Colliery Honour of Clitheroe Padiham Power Station Padiham witch Towneley Colliery UTC Lancashire
Media	2BR Burnley Express Lancashire Telegraph
Politics	District elections Burnley Town Hall Burnley constituency

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