Another Blue Academy

It looked worryingly like a bunch of giant, unvarnished crates until recently. But now, 15 months after receiving planning permission, the City of London KPMG Academy has turned blue - just like all Hackney's other academies. There still looks to be a bit of work to do before it opens in September, mind. 

Comments

[Martin McCallion]

My son wants to know why Wilmott Dixon get all the Hackney school-building contracts (they're doing Mossbourne's sixth-form extension as well).

[ewebber]

it looks huge and very daunting for anyone to go to school. But at least those really ugly purple railing are long gone.

[DaveHill]

To me it looks a bit like what it replaced done in a different colour. As for the Wilmott Dixon dominance, I dunno. Are schools their speciality, maybe?

[violetstone]

My Daughter likes the look of it and now wants to go there after adamantly refusing till now. Looks like I might finally get a kid in a academy. Does this mean my social standing has gone up?

[Charlie]

Re. Willmott Dixon, all academies are built by one of a government shortlist of contractors know as the 'framework'.
As Martin's son astutely noticed, WM are way up at the front of the 'knock-em down and build em again' gravy train -

The Academies framework league table April 2009:

* Willmott Dixon £349m
* Kier £335m
* Carillion £222m
* Balfour Beatty £210m
* Skanska £23m
* Laing O'Rourke £0

see this article

[rick harter]

oh dont be fooled into thinking the academies are so great, from looking around them all they seem more like offices than schools yet have brought back a kind of zero tollerence pre-1960 style regime.

Best school in Hackney by far is Clapton Girls....is going about its business quietly, effectively and has the most amazing ofstead report ive ever seen...."excellent" in every aspect.

[thanbir]

my son thanbir is exited to go to the best accademy ever

[Mark]

For the sake of accuracy I would like to point out that the new City Academy is not just blue. The coloured panels which are being used to cover the walls also come in greens, reds and purples of various shades. In addition, one building is painted yellow.

There is more variety in Hackney Schools than might at first appear. And not just with regard to colours.

Mark

[Zoe]

Clapton Girls may be the "best school ever"(don't believe everything you read in OFSTED reports- govt. device for oppressing any thing in education that challenges DCFS authority) - but it has managed to dicriminate against all the boys in Lower Clapton who have to be transported into neighbouring boroughs to get an education.We should be celebrating the arrival of a school that includes both genders, all beliefs, races etc.Make the most of it!