London Academy of Excellence 

The most significant educational initiative over the last year has been our involvement with the London Academy of Excellence (LAE), which opened in September 2012. The LAE is the first 6th Form College to be set up under the government's Free Schools scheme. It has a limited curriculum of 12 key subjects and admitted 200 students in its first year. This number will rise to 400 over two years. Subjects are being sponsored by a group of 8 independent schools, each of which has a record of excellence in that particular sphere. With excellent pastoral support and careful academic guidance, the LAE’s aim is to prepare ambitious students for entry to Russell Group universities and to the leading medical schools.

Our involvement this year has been in planning for the Academy’s opening. Both the Head Master and Head of English have been actively involved with this project. The Head Master is a Governor. Our Head of English is Head of the English Department at the LAE. He has led the establishment of the department (to which one Eton master has been seconded from September 2012), been involved with the selection of the pupils and development of the A level course. Eton's Clerk & Legal Advisor serves on the LAE’s Finance Committee and the Director of Curriculum on the LAE's Education Committee.

The other independent schools involved are: Brighton College, Caterham School, City of London School, Forest School, Highgate School, King's College School Wimbledon and Roedean School. We firmly believe in the benefits that our sponsorship of LAE will bring to Eton particularly in relation to sharing best practice in learning and teaching methods and the professional development of the staff involved. We are also pleased to re-engage with Newham as a borough, where Eton has historically had a social impact through the Eton Mission.