Bishop's visit marks completion of new London academy

Islington’s new Church of England academy has marked its completion with a special service attended by the Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres.

The academy, which is sponsored by the London Diocesan Board for Schools, specialises in Humanities and Global Citizenship and is located in brand new buildings with state of the art facilities on Liverpool Road.

With an emphasis on global citizenship, the school sets aside an hour each day for enrichment activities including Mandarin and has links with schools in Senegal, China, Australia, Palestine, Denmark and Mexico. Last year six Year 7 students visited China as part of their Mandarin language studies and a further thirteen students will go in July.

The Bishop’s visit marks the completion of the academy which will open its doors to Year 9 students and sixth-formers, who will study for the International Baccalaureate Diploma. From 2012 the school hopes to include all years.

The school has so far enjoyed an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report for its primary school and is expecting to receive equally positive results when it’s Year 7 and 8 classes are inspected later in the year.

The Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres said: “The community ethos of this school is an expression of its special emphasis on global citizenship. The Diocese of London aims to think globally and act locally and St Mary's is a perfect example of this strategy in action.

“Today the Schools of the Diocese serve 50,000 young people who reflect the full diversity of London's citizens. Our work in education continues to grow and, judging from the most recent Ofsted Report, on St Mary's it continues to flourish."

Principal of the St Mary Magdalene Academy, Paul Hollingum said: “I am delighted at the swift and successful expansion of the academy. We are all looking forward to welcoming our Year 9 and Sixth Form pupils and to expanding opportunities for local children to learn to become truly global citizens.”