New academy proves popular with pupils

8:11am Tuesday 9th September 2008

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The new Coulsdon Academy opened this week and already the places have been taken, filled and oversubscribed.

Reverend Steve Chalke, the brainchild behind the Oasis charity academy scheme, took on the failing school to try and turn it around.

“The new Coulsdon Academy is going to be an inclusive school for both the pupils and the parents.

John Murphy

Plans for the future of the academy include creating a sixth form, a nursery and expanding the school to 1,150 students by 2012.

The Government will be funding this expansion with £20m for the construction of new education and sports facilities.

The school will be led by John Murphy, a talented and focused headteacher who has already turned around another failing.

The school, in Homefield Road, Old Coulsdon, has been repainted and the uniform has been changed.

Mr Murphy said: “I am not here to comment on the old school but what we are trying to achieve with the new school.

“The new Coulsdon Academy is going to be an inclusive school for both the pupils and the parents.

“We want parents to feel like they are taking an active role in their child’s education.

Students at the academy, which specialises in technology, and business and enterprise, will also be allocated a teaching mentor who they will see everyday, to guide them through problems.

Mr Murphy added: “In the tutoring sessions we have cut down the number of pupils to around 15 per class. We want pupils to get the best opportunity to learn and expand their education as possible.”

The academy, which has a health centre and a teacher training college, is offering computer classes and adult education classes and activities such as family cooking sessions to the community this week.

“I am very happy with the way the school is going so far and I think we’re on track to being a fantastic school in the borough,” Mr Murphy said.

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