The LAE Story
Transforming Lives
2012 LAE founded 50%
Access to a quality education is the cornerstone of a fair society, allowing young people, regardless of their background, the opportunity to succeed and fulfil their potential. An outstanding education does not just transform the life of a single child, it also has the power to transform the lives of their family and community. The core purpose of London Academy of Excellence (LAE) Stratford is to promote social mobility through education by providing a high quality academic A-level experience to disadvantaged students. Situated on the border between Newham and Tower Hamlets, two of the most deprived local authorities in the UK, LAE was set up as a collaboration between state and independent schools to address a local shortage of A-level provision and poor progression rates to higher education.
In 2011, the year before LAE opened its doors, only 330 local sixth formers took A-levels through Newham providers. Fewer than 40 of these students progressed to Russell Group universities and only three won places at Oxford or Cambridge. In the intervening years, LAE’s success has been instrumental in helping to improve outcomes for, and raise the aspirations of, disadvantaged young people in London’s East End. The school has set a new benchmark for educational excellence that others locally and nationally have sought to emulate. LAE uniquely prioritises applications from disadvantaged students in receipt of free school meals. As a result, on average half of
the students are classified as ‘disadvantaged’ compared to 4-8% at selective Sixth Forms nationally. The majority of LAE students are from families who have never sent a child to university before. The school’s education model has made it one of the highest achieving state Sixth Form schools in the country. The school has sent more than 1,050 students to Russell Group universities and over 125 to Oxbridge since 2014. Young LAE alumni are already making their mark on society too - many have embarked on graduate careers in sectors including business, law, science and education, with several alumni working as doctors for the NHS during the recent Covid-19 pandemic.
of offers reserved for Newham State Secondary Schools 500 Students currently enrolled 5,000+ Apply each year
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