What if these walls could talk? The story of Mulberry Academy Shoreditch is deeply woven into the East End’s historical tapestry. This academy wasn’t always known by its current name.
Mulberry Academy Shoreditch started as two separate schools. Mansford Secondary School founded in 1896 and Daniel Street School founded in 1900 both played important roles in the community. In the 1940s, notorious gangsters the Kray twins attended Daniel Street School.
In 1959, a merger birthed Daneford School. The name was a blend of Daniel and Mansford. Daneford School was a secondary modern located on Gosset Street. By 1965, new buildings arrived designed by the London County Council. Daneford then became a single-sex school for boys. Comprehensive status was acquired in 1973.
The late 1970s brought racial tensions to East London. Bangladeshi students at Daneford faced racist attacks. The Campaign Against Racism in Schools or CARS emerged at Daneford. Teachers demonstrated pushing for an anti-racist policy from the Inner London Education Authority. In 1982, The Daneford Trust was founded at the school. This charity facilitates youth overseas exchanges.
A significant shift occurred in 1997. Daneford School transformed into Bethnal Green High School becoming co-educational. Female students were welcomed for the first time. The name soon evolved again to Bethnal Green Technology College.
The school faced challenges. In 2005, an Ofsted inspection placed it into special measures. The headteacher resigned and Keith Holt stepped in as interim headteacher. Mark Keary’s appointment as headteacher came in June 2006. By 2007, the school was out of special measures. Prince Charles even praised Keary in 2008 for involving Teach First teachers.
2010 marked a time of improvement. A £17 million refurbishment was funded by the Building Schools for the Future scheme. However, controversy arose. In July 2011, governors voted to adopt academy status. This decision caused a split within the local Labour Party. In January 2012, the school officially became Bethnal Green Academy. A sixth form was introduced in September of that year. An Ofsted inspection in December 2012 rated Bethnal Green Academy as “Outstanding”.
Tragedy struck in December 2014. A female pupil, Sharmeena Begum, left the UK to join ISIL. In February 2015, three more female pupils, Shamima Begum, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana, also left to join ISIL. Five other female pupils were placed under a travel ban to prevent them from leaving the country. Counter-extremism officers investigated the school.
In 2015, the name changed to Green Spring Academy Shoreditch to distance itself from negative associations. Allegations of exam-fixing led to an independent investigation. Several staff members including headteacher Mark Keary were suspended in February 2017. Keary was later cleared of wrongdoing by the Teaching Regulation Agency in 2019.
Finally, in September 2018, the school joined the Mulberry Schools Trust. It was renamed Mulberry Academy Shoreditch. Today, Mulberry Academy Shoreditch continues its mission. It strives to empower students and foster a thriving learning environment. The vision of Mulberry Academy Shoreditch is to ensure every student maximizes their potential.