Queen Eleanor Primary Academy
On a site alongside Far Cotton Recreation Ground, Queen Eleanor Primary Academy stands at the heart of Far Cotton.
21 March 1952 – Queen Eleanor Infant School opens under the leadership of Miss W N Baron. The school was designed to teach 240 infants in six classes. The opening ceremony was performed by the Chairman of the Education Committee, Alderman W H Percival, in the presence of the Mayor, Councillor Frank Lee. One hundred and sixty children aged from five to seven-and-a-half years attended on the first day. The building was designed by J A Hague, R Johnson and D W Wann of the Borough Architects Department.
September 1974 – Queen Eleanor Infant School becomes Queen Eleanor Lower School. Mobile classrooms are erected to accommodate the extra children. During the 1970s, students on the NNEB Certificate course did part of their training at Queen Eleanor Lower School. The school provided placements for mature students, and first- and second-year nursery students.
24 March 1977 – Silver Jubilee Celebrations. Thanksgiving service at St Mary’s Church followed by a pageant, during which pupils re-enacted the story of King Edward and Queen Eleanor. The collection was donated to Northampton Borough Council to help fund the restoration of the Eleanor Cross.
January 1982 – Queen Eleanor Lower School closed following a fire. Mums armed with mops and scrubbing brushes took on the mammoth task of cleaning smoke damaged furniture and preparing the annexe at Far Cotton Junior, which became the school’s temporary home while repairs are carried out.
21 March 1992 – Queen Eleanor Lower School finally has its new building. New classrooms built on the back playground replace the old mobile units.
12 July 2002 - Golden Jubilee Celebrations. Welcome by head teacher, Karen Graystone; presentation of Healthy Schools Silver Award by the Lord Lieutenant, Lady Juliet Townsend; plaque unveiling by the Mayor of Northampton, Councillor Mike Boss; balloon launch, and a street party and fete for the pupils and friends of Queen Eleanor Lower School.
2003 – Year 4 pupils remain at Queen Eleanor Lower School and become the first Year 5 group.
2004 – Queen Eleanor Lower School becomes Queen Eleanor Primary School with its first group of Year 6 pupils.
Today – Queen Eleanor Primary School is now Queen Eleanor Primary Academy, under the part of the Creative Education Academies Trust, set up in 2011.
