St John of Jerusalem

Introduction

The parish is very proud of its church school – St John of Jerusalem Primary School on Kingshold Road. We're proud of our children, our staff and our governors. It's a school where every child is valued and encouraged, when things are a bit tough or disappointing as much as when everything is going well.

Our school has strong links with our church. Not only do some of the children come from church families, but also a number of governors are church members and the children celebrate key occasions in their school life and all major Christian festivals in our church.

For more information, please see

http://www.st-johnjerusalem.hackney.sch.uk/web

A bit of history

Our church school has a wonderful heritage. It was founded over 200 years ago, in 1810. At that time the school was within the boundaries of what is now our churchyard, just to the west of where the church now stands.

The story from then on is one of growth. 30 years later, in 1840, a separate school for infants was built on Well Street. At the same time, the original 1810 school wasn't big enough for the 137 boys and 63 girls attending. So a new school was built, on the site of the present day school, on land kindly given by the trustees of St Thomas's Hospital. Excitingly, the new school was opened on 20 July 1848, the same day that the present-day church was consecrated.

In 1873 the school expanded to include 150 infants. In 1884 it expanded still further, now enjoying three large rooms and five smaller classrooms. By 1900, 500 children were being taught in these eight rooms.

A bomb in the Second World War destroyed the old school and from then on, until 1957, classes were held in Orchard School.

Happily, a new school was built, completed in 1957 and designed by Nugent Francis Cachemaille-Day (1896-1976) who also designed the present-day St John of Jerusalem church spire, and the present-day St Michael and All Angels Church, London Fields.

As well as an assembly hall the new school provided six light and airy classrooms, each large enough – by the standards of that time - to hold 40 children. Over the entrance way was placed a stone relief carving of 'Christ with the Children' by Donald Potter. Expansion continued in 1985, when a separate nursery block was built.

We give thanks for a thriving and vibrant school, built on such firm foundations, and we look forward to the next 200 years in its life.