London school votes to change name over slave trade link

A school named after the 16th Century slave trader Sir Frances Drake has had its name changed following a vote.

Formerly called Sir Frances Drake Primary School, the school in Lewisham said the 88% of 450 parents, staff, pupils and local residents had voted for a new name.

It is now called Twin Oaks Primary School – the top choice among the respondents.

The school’s headteacher described the change as an “exciting new chapter”.

The links associated with the school’s former name had been “at odds” with its values, according to its governing body, which decided to launch a consultation to change the name.

The new name was originally suggested by pupils, because of the two oak trees that grow around its entrance.

The school is launching a competition for pupils to design a new logo and once this has been created, the school’s building will receive a new sign.

Headteacher Karen Cartwright said she was “thrilled” pupils had been able to play such a “central role in this renaming process”.

In a letter to parents, she said costs would be kept to a minimum, adding pupils would be able to continue wearing their current uniform until they outgrew it and non-branded jumpers could still be worn.

For those needing a new uniform, the school hoped a new branded one would be available from September.

Drake was knighted in 1581 in Deptford, south-east London, for his successful exploits around the world.

He is credited for defeating the Spanish Armada’s invasion of England in 1588 and also became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.

After a career as naval officer, Drake drifted into piracy and was also one of the earliest exponents of the slave trade, bringing African men and women to work in the English colonies of North America in the 16th Century.

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