Teachers, students and neighbours mark the Pooles Park milestone as families brought in food from around the world to celebrate the pupils’ diverse array of cultures and heritages

TEACHERS, students and neighbours gathered in joy to celebrate the 150th anniversary of a school that came nail-bitingly close to closing just two years ago.

The Tribune covered the campaign to prevent the closure of Pooles Park back in 2024, with the High Court overturning a ruling from Islington Council to shut it down.

This week, the school celebrated its expansive history, and the significance of the decision to keep it open.

Families brought in food from around the world to celebrate the diverse array of cultures and heritages amongst children at the school.

Paul Levy-Adophy, whose son is a former pupil, and was at the forefront of the campaign to prevent its closure, said that Pooles was a “beautiful” school, and that he was so happy its closure had been prevented as it was “vital community resource”.

“I’m overjoyed, all the kids were smiling. Here’s to another 150 years,” he said.

The campaign to prevent the closure of Pooles Park back in 2024

Mr Levy-Adophy added that Pooles’ award-winning outdoor area, an “oasis-like garden”, was an essential resource for its pupils, some of whom may have limited access to green space.

“Finsbury Park is one of the poorest parts of Islington. There are children at the school who are living in temporary accommodation, who speak English as a second language or who are refugees,” he said.

“If the school had have closed, they would have lost access to this beautiful space.

“The whole attempt to close it infuriated me, because I just thought, ‘why don’t disadvantaged kids deserve access to these things?’”

Pooles Park, previously a council-run school, was first ordered to close by Islington Council in 2023, based on an “inadequate” Ofsted ruling.

Parents and campaigners fought hard to overturn the closure, eventually opening a route up for the Bridge Academy Trust to incorporate the school into their trust.

Headteacher Craig Taylor said: “I am so proud of how our school community – both past and the present – came together today. It was wonderful to celebrate 150 years of education and togetherness at Pooles Park.”

Three primary schools have now closed within the borough in the last year. Highbury Quadrant, and St Jude and St Paul’s closed in 2025, whilst New North Academy was the latest to be shut this week.