It said the move signifies its commitment to this partnership and commemorates 10 years since it began.
The change was made official last Thursday (29 August) at a celebration attended by 165 teachers, eight members of the Court and other governors, including the local MP for Eltham and Chislehurst, Clive Efford. The Stationers' Company's master, Paul Wilson, was also present and cut a ribbon to mark the occasion.
The LSA’s five colleges have also been renamed to pay tribute to influential literary figures, and thus acknowledge the Academy’s connection to the Stationers’ Company.
The new college names are: Angelou College after Maya Angelou, Caxton College after William Caxton, Hansard College after Luke Hansard, Woolf College after Virginia Woolf, and Equiano College after Olaudah Equiano.
The LSA’s main building, The Crown, has retained its name to reflect the Academy’s historical links to royalty. Before the recent renaming, the LSA was the Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy, reflecting its location on King Henry VIII’s old hunting grounds. Its logo also used to be a crown but has now been replaced with the Stationers’ Company crest.
Academy principal Joseph Sparks praised the Stationers’ Company for playing “a significant role in the development of education, providing not only monetary grants but mentoring, and opportunities for the pupils which would not otherwise be possible”.
Academy chair of governors and court assistant prof Linda Drew also expressed her gratitude for the work that went into establishing this “very special relationship”, so that “now ten years on many Stationers have served on the board of governors to provide support and challenge to this thriving academic community”.
This is closely aligned with the Company’s aims which, as an independent forum for the UK’s communication and content industries, works to promote development, success and education within said industries.
