St Joseph's Academy, Blackheath
Encyclopedia
St Josephs Academy was an all boys Roman Catholic academy located in Blackheath, London
, United Kingdom
.
Saint Joseph’s Academy began life in 1860 as an extension of the work of the Brothers in Saint Joseph’s College, Clapham. Bishop Grant asked them to start a new school in Saint George’s parish, Kennington. The Brothers who taught in the Academy initially belonged to the Clapham Community and travelled each day to Kennington. (The Bishop agreed to provide the money for their fares on the omnibus.) Then, in January 1865, they were set up as a separate Community under the leadership of Brother Acheul as the first Director. The Academy operated in Kennington for 56 years. In 1916 it moved to Camberwell for a few years and finally it moved to Lee Terrace in 1919 to become Saint Joseph’s Academy, Blackheath.
In 1977 Saint Joseph’s Academy made the transition from grammar school
to comprehensive school
. Unfortunately, it was one of those schools that did not cope well with the change. There followed a period of gradual decline from the former glory days throughout the 1980s. Also during the 1980s, Saint Austen's Boys School, Charlton merged with Saint Joseph's Academy and for some time the Saint Austens site was used for the lower school. Eventually, the site in Charlton was repurposed as the site for Christ the King Sixth Form College
before moving to its current site on Belmont hill. Starting in the early 1990s, the school went through a particularly troubled period with a series of OFSTED
inspections that placed it in a category of either ‘special measures’ or ‘serious weaknesses’ for eleven years.
In 2002, at the initiative of the headteacher, Peter Stickings, and the chair of governors, Brother Ben Foy, it was suggested that the only remedy for the terminal decline of St Joseph’s
would be for it to become part of the Academies programme, which was then being vigorously promoted by the government as a way of rescuing schools in serious difficulties, especially in London. The proposal involved the closure not only of Saint Joseph’s Academy but also that of the neighbouring Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School and their joint re-emergence as a 3-16 all-through co-educational Academy.
High-level discussions on the feasibility of the proposal took place involving the De La Salle Trustees, the Diocese of Southwark, the DfES and Lewisham Authority. All parties agreed that it was an idea worth pursuing. The co-sponsors of the Academy would be the Diocese and the De La Salle Trustees, the latter providing the lion’s share of the land for the site of the new Academy.
This Academy emerged as St Matthew Academy
as of September 2007.
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Saint Joseph’s Academy began life in 1860 as an extension of the work of the Brothers in Saint Joseph’s College, Clapham. Bishop Grant asked them to start a new school in Saint George’s parish, Kennington. The Brothers who taught in the Academy initially belonged to the Clapham Community and travelled each day to Kennington. (The Bishop agreed to provide the money for their fares on the omnibus.) Then, in January 1865, they were set up as a separate Community under the leadership of Brother Acheul as the first Director. The Academy operated in Kennington for 56 years. In 1916 it moved to Camberwell for a few years and finally it moved to Lee Terrace in 1919 to become Saint Joseph’s Academy, Blackheath.
In 1977 Saint Joseph’s Academy made the transition from grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
to comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
. Unfortunately, it was one of those schools that did not cope well with the change. There followed a period of gradual decline from the former glory days throughout the 1980s. Also during the 1980s, Saint Austen's Boys School, Charlton merged with Saint Joseph's Academy and for some time the Saint Austens site was used for the lower school. Eventually, the site in Charlton was repurposed as the site for Christ the King Sixth Form College
Christ the King Sixth Form College
Christ the King Sixth Form College is a sixth form college in the South London borough of Lewisham. Founded in 1992 by the Catholic Church on a site site owned by the Diocese of Southwark, it welcomes students from all religions and backgrounds...
before moving to its current site on Belmont hill. Starting in the early 1990s, the school went through a particularly troubled period with a series of OFSTED
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
inspections that placed it in a category of either ‘special measures’ or ‘serious weaknesses’ for eleven years.
In 2002, at the initiative of the headteacher, Peter Stickings, and the chair of governors, Brother Ben Foy, it was suggested that the only remedy for the terminal decline of St Joseph’s
would be for it to become part of the Academies programme, which was then being vigorously promoted by the government as a way of rescuing schools in serious difficulties, especially in London. The proposal involved the closure not only of Saint Joseph’s Academy but also that of the neighbouring Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School and their joint re-emergence as a 3-16 all-through co-educational Academy.
High-level discussions on the feasibility of the proposal took place involving the De La Salle Trustees, the Diocese of Southwark, the DfES and Lewisham Authority. All parties agreed that it was an idea worth pursuing. The co-sponsors of the Academy would be the Diocese and the De La Salle Trustees, the latter providing the lion’s share of the land for the site of the new Academy.
This Academy emerged as St Matthew Academy
St Matthew Academy
St Matthew Academy is a co-educational Roman Catholic academy for children aged 3 to 16. It is located in Blackheath, London and is a designated specialist Business and Enterprise College...
as of September 2007.
Notable alumni
The following list consist of notable Alumni's:- Jlloyd SamuelJlloyd SamuelJlloyd Samuel is a Trinidadian footballer who last played for Bolton Wanderers as a defender. He is a Trinidad and Tobago international.-Aston Villa:...
- Footballer - Cherno SambaCherno SambaCherno Samba is a Gambian footballer who plays as a forward. His last club was Panetolikos in Greece. He represented England at every youth level up to the under-20 team, having moved to England at an early age. He earned his first full cap for Gambia in 2008. Samba began his career with Millwall...
- Footballer - Ali FuseiniAli FuseiniAli Fuseini is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Lincoln City as a midfielder.-Millwall:He joined Millwall from Sunday league football and made his first-team debut against Gillingham on September 12, 2006...
- Footballer - Todd Roydon - Footballer
- Femi IlesanmiFemi IlesanmiOluwafemi Abayomi A. 'Femi' Ilesanmi is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for League One club Dagenham & Redbridge...
- Footballer - Anthony BarnessAnthony BarnessAnthony Barness is a defender, currently playing for Lewes.-Biography:Barness started out as a trainee for Charlton Athletic. It is to be noted that in his first spell at Charlton he scored Charlton's opening riposte after going 3-0 down at Newcastle, this strike was the goal of the match...
- Footballer - John RegisJohn Regis (athlete)John Paul Lyndon Regis, MBE is a retired English sprinter. During his career, he won gold medals in the 200 metres at the 1989 World Indoor Championships and the 1990 European Championships, and a silver medal in the distance at the 1993 World Championships.He was a member of the British teams...
- Athlete
- John Anthony GallagherJohn Anthony GallagherJohn Anthony Gallagher is a former rugby union All Black. He was born in London.Gallagher was one of the first of a succession of All Blacks to switch codes to rugby league....
- All Black rugby player - David LodgeDavid Lodge (author)David John Lodge CBE, is an English author.In his novels, Lodge often satirises academia in general and the humanities in particular. He was brought up Catholic and has described himself as an "agnostic Catholic". Many of his characters are Catholic and their Catholicism is a major theme...
- Author - John HenryJohn Henry (toxicologist)Professor John Anthony Henry was a professor specialising in toxicology in the Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington...
- Toxicologist - Jeremy HealyJeremy HealyJeremy Healy is an English DJ and singer. He is a former member of the 1980s pop group, Haysi Fantayzee.-Career:...
- Musician and DJ - Patrick CollinsPatrick CollinsPatrick Collins may refer to:* Paddy Collins , Irish sportsman* Patrick K. Collins , rugby union coach* Patrick Collins , American pornographic film producer and director...
- Sportswriter - Tony Marchant - Playwright
- Edmund Michael Hubert CapperEdmund Michael Hubert CapperEdmund Michael Hubert Capper was an Anglican bishopBorn on 12 March 1908 and educated at St Joseph's Academy, Blackheath and Durham University , he was ordained in 1933 . Following a curacy at St Mary Strood he emigrated to Africa where he was a Mission Priest before promotion to be the Archdeacon...
- Anglican Bishop