Lambeth Academy is owned and run by United Learning, a subsidiary of the United Church Schools Trust. In Summer 2011 the first group of students who had arrived in 2004 completed their A-levels and achieved excellent results. They have established an alumni society called Lambeth Academicals, to maintain contact through sporting social and other activities. 2011 saw results rising to 58% of GCSE students obtaining 5A*-C grades, including English and Maths. This represented a 22% increase, making the Academy one of the most improved schools in London and placing it above the national average in this respect. Lambeth Academy specialises in English with Business & Enterprise. There are around 180 in sixth form. It is situated on Elms Road just east of Clapham Common, off the A24, north of the junction with the South Circular Road. Next door is the sixth-form centre of Lambeth College. It lies in the parish of Holy Spirit, Clapham.
History
Lambeth Academy was founded after a four-year campaign by local parents, including the author John O'Farrell, who became the school's first Chair of Governors, a post he held for eight years. He recalls the campaign and his involvement in the school in his memoir 'Things Can Only Get Worse'. The academy was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004. The first principal was Ms Pat Millichamp, who retired after two years. The second principal was Mr Stephen Potter who retired during the Christmas break of 2011 who was then replaced by Ms Jan Shadick, who served in this position until Summer 2017. She was succeeded by Ms Carol Shepherd until her resignation in the Christmas of 2017. Subsequently, she was succeeded by Mr Peter Mathershaw who stood down as headteacher in the summer of 2018, he was replaced by Mr Leon Wilson who is the current Executive Headteacher. The chair of governors is Chioma Oganya.
Henry Thornton School
The Academy is built on the site of the Henry Thornton School. This school opened in 1929 as a boys' grammar school. It had around 450 boys. It was well known in national lacrosse competitions. It became a comprehensive in 1968 with around 1,500 boys, then merged with the Hydeburn School to become the Chestnut Grove School in Balham in 1986, and the site became the Henry Thornton Centre of Clapham and Balham Adult Education Institute. In 2003 the former grammar school was demolished to make way for the Academy.
Notable former pupils
Henry Thornton School
Prof Kenneth Andrews, Professor of History from 1979–88 at the University of Hull
Michael Thomas, Professional from 1984 until 2001. Played football for Arsenal, Portsmouth, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Sport Lisboa e Benfica, and Wimbledon, as well as the England Under-21s, England B and the England National Team.
