Copland Community School to be renamed after founder of Wembley Stadium
Copland Community School will be renamed Ark Elvin Academy - Credit: Archant
A troubled secondary school in Wembley will change its name when it becomes an academy in September.
Copland Community School in Cecil Avenue, will become ARK Elvin Academy in honour of a war hero who helped to build the old Wembley Stadium.
Sir Arthur Elvin was a pilot for the Royal Flying Corps during World War One before he spent two years as prisoner of war when he was shot down in France.
He later received a knighthood for his involvement in staging the 1948 Olympic Games in Wembley.
He died in 1957 age 57.
You may also want to watch:
The school, which was placed in special measures by government inspectors Ofsted last May, is the last secondary in the borough still under the care of Brent Council.
Last month Ark Academy, who will take over the school, announced Annabel Bates will become its new principal in the autumn term.
Most Read
- 1 Brent investigating implications of traffic measures court ruling
- 2 'No light at the end of the tunnel' says Northwick Park surgeon on operation backlogs
- 3 Neasden man charged with murder and knife attacks
- 4 Appeal after woman hit on the head and sexually assaulted in Sudbury
- 5 Mass vaccination centre opens in Wembley Park
- 6 Fundraiser launched after beloved mum found collapsed in Barham Park dies
- 7 Wembley drug dealer jailed for biting, scratching and pushing police
- 8 Man arrested in connection with Neasden murder and two stabbings
- 9 Man dies after stabbing in Brent
- 10 Third stabbing in Neasden as murder investigation under way
Staff and pupils have staged six strikes over the academy conversion plans claiming their views have been ignored by education chiefs.
In a further twist, the school has been accused of failing to carry out a full consultation about the name change.
Hank Roberts, a union rep and geography teacher at the school and union rep, said the decision was made with a committee of four staff and six students.
He told the Times: “It is that teachers’ and parents’ collective views count for nothing.
“They don’t even bother with the pretence of consultation any more.”
However Ms Bates refute the claims saying staff members, local pupils, parents and the local community were invited to suggest names during a six-week consultation about the conversion plans which was carried out before Christmas.
She added: “We have high ambitions for every pupil at our school, we want them to be able to build a career that is as successful as Arthur Elvin’s. Our ambition is for every pupil to get good enough results to be able to leave school and go to university or pursue their career of choice.”