The Rural Enterprise Academy
| The Rural Enterprise Academy | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
Rodbaston Drive , , ST19 5PH England | |
| Coordinates | 52°42′11″N 2°07′01″W / 52.70310°N 2.11702°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Free school |
| Established | 2012 |
| Trust | Penk Valley Academy Trust |
| Department for Education URN | 138351 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Principal | Alice Corrigan |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 11 to 16 |
| Enrolment | 236 |
| Website | www |
The Rural Enterprise Academy is a coeducational high school and sixth form located in Penkridge, Staffordshire, UK. It was the first dedicated land-based free school in England, and its aim is to develop rural entrepreneurs and business leaders.
Free schools were introduced in England in 2010 to pioneer innovative approaches to education, but analysis in 2018 by the National Foundation for Educational Research and the Sutton Trust found that only a third had achieved this; in their report, the Rural Enterprise Academy was highlighted as a particularly successful example of genuine novelty in their curriculum in catering for an area with a significant local farming community. The Academy was rated "Inadequate" by Ofsted in 2024.
The Rural Enterprise Academy is sponsored by South Staffordshire College, Veolia and the National Farmers Union.