A group of people living in and around Newham have come together to open a new co-educational secondary school in the borough to provide an excellent education for young people and prepare them to become world class leaders in the changing world.

The Academy which will start in September of next year is opened to youngsters from all backgrounds and cuts across faith, needs and abilities.

Known as the Newham Free Academy, the school is supported by experienced educational consultants providing strategic leadership to ensure a successful growth.

The school’s trust members and founders some of whom have been involved with young people from Newham, hackney, Havering and barking and Dagenham by voluntarily providing supplementary school services are motivated by passion for education in deprived areas.

“We have a passion for education in deprived, underachieving and high crime rate areas where we strongly believe education is the route out of poverty and breaks the cycle of exclusion and marginalisation”

According to them, education is the pathway to wealth, prosperity and good health which ultimately inspire others to improve themselves.

The team hope to “ignite the spark in the child which will set them off on a lifelong learning journey, develop them, improve them and prepare them to become leaders in their communities, the wider society and key players in the global age”

Newham Free Academy, will be set up as a mixed 11-18 community comprehensive School with a Humanities specialism and will be the first Humanities specialist school in Newham.

The Curriculum on offer will ensure that students grow up in an atmosphere of self-respect, respect for others, respect for their communities and to realise their potential by engaging fully with all the opportunities available to them.

The school will deliver a traditional holistic education with high expectations of academic excellence with a commitment to intellectual freedom, independent and collaborative learning.

“ Mandarin, French, German or Spanish will be mandatory to the age of 16 and all pupils will do at least eight GCSE’s including English, English literature, Mathematics, History, Science and a foreign language”

Vocational qualifications and pathways will also be available for students who decide to combine the core GCSE components offer with vocational qualifications.

“We strongly believe in a ‘no frills’ high quality traditional education centred around respect, care, family values and trust available to all young people in Newham from whatever background without restrictions on entry. It is a school for the community. Newham Free Academy will focus on getting the best for the students as opposed to the most”.

All students at Newham Free Academy will have the right to feel safe and secure and for that reason, stakeholders say there will be no tolerance of bullying or disruptive behaviour.

 By Florence Simpson/Voice of Africa Radio/UK