Strood Academy was created in 2009 following the closure of our predecessor schools and was initially sponsored by the University for the Creative Arts. Sponsored Academies were created to raise aspirations and academic results by using the expertise of the sponsors along with experienced and successful school leaders. Since opening, our academy has transformed the educational opportunities and outcomes for girls and boys in Strood. The improvement in academic performance has been driven by a talented and committed workforce, the hard work of our students, and support from parents and our community. On 1 January 2017, we officially joined Leigh Academies Trust which has been identified by the Chief Inspector of Schools (Sir Michael Wilshaw) as one of the top seven performing Trusts in the country. We look forward to working with them to support our students to make greater progress. Our new buildings in Carnation Road were designed in partnership with Nicholas Hare and built by BAM as our main contractor at a cost of £26m. They opened in September 2012 and have outstanding learning environments and outside play areas as well as fantastic sports facilities. The buildings reflect our education vision of creating a mature and purposeful educational environment where children of all abilities can learn and thrive. Before joining Leigh Academies Trust, Strood Academy was known as Chapter School, and previously as Temple School.