Bexleyheath Becomes the Third London Mayoral Academy

Students at Bexleyheath Academy had an unforgettable morning at the official opening of their new London Mayoral Academy by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London.
Accompanied by Lord Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, the Mayor enjoyed a tour of the Academy, including musical entertainment in the Sixth Form Centre, a display of African drumming and a specially commissioned Olympic sculpture. They were hosted by Mr Robert Dore, Principal of Bexleyheath Academy, and took every opportunity to stop and talk with students.

A commemorative plaque was unveiled by Boris Johnson in the company of Lord Coe and Ian Foster, Chair of the Academies Enterprise Trust. (picture)

Lord Coe, winner of Olympic gold medals in the 1,500 metres in 1980 and 1984 officially opened the Bexleyheath Academy Multigym.

At the end of the visit the Mayor of London and Lord Coe each planted a tree near the Academy main entrance, and were given a gift of a portrait made by students.

Bexleyheath Academy is the third Mayoral Academy to open since Aylward and Nightingale Academies in Enfield were introduced in September 2010. In their first year they both dramatically improved their examination results. The number of students gaining five or more GCSE passes A* - C with English and Mathematics at Aylward rose from 30% (2010) to 47% and from 28% to 42% at Nightingale.

There has been a school at the Woolwich Road site at Bexleyheath since 1888. Two single sex schools merged to become Bexleyheath School in 1968. The School was completely rebuilt in 2005 at a cost of £7 million. It opened its doors as a Mayoral Academy in September 2011. It has 1,850 students aged 11 to 19 years.