The Hurlingham Academy

The school's original buildings were constructed in 1956 by Sheppard Robson & Partners for the London County Council. It opened in 1956 and originally housed the 500 girls of Hurlingham School from Hugon Road in Fulham. The school became a mixed school in 1982 when it merged with a boys’ school called Chelsea School, which has no relations with the nearby Chelsea Academy or Fulham Boys' School. The school was one of nine schools in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham serving secondary aged children, of which there are three academies, three foundation schools, one voluntary-aided school, one free school, with Hurlingham and Chelsea being the sole community school.

The school has had a turbulent history. It was described as a "failing school" in the pilot Ofsted inspections in 1994, which prompted discussions of closure until it was given a clean bill of health later in the same year. Provision was judged ‘good’ by Ofsted in 1997 and the school was highlighted for its improvement in HMCI's 1999 Annual Report. Because results were consistently below government floor targets, however, the school was designated as a "school facing challenging circumstances" in 2003. In March 2004 the school was placed under special measures. In November 2005, the school emerged from special measures. A proposal to close the school was made in September 2006, which was later withdrawn in April 2007.{{Cite news

|last = Beckett

|first = Francis

|author-link = Francis Beckett

|title = Teacher profile: A victory for very special measures

|newspaper = The Independent

|date = 2007-09-13

|url = http://news.independent.co.uk/education/schools/article2954262.ece

|access-date = 2007-12-08

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071023073450/http://news.independent.co.uk/education/schools/article2954262.ece

|archive-date = 2007-10-23

}}{{cite press release

|title = Hurlingham and Chelsea School gets the all-clear from Ofsted

|publisher = Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office

|date = 2005-11-23

|url = http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Directory/News_and_Media/Press_office/Press_releases/46043_Hurlingham_and_Chelsea_School_gets_the_all_clear_from_Ofsted.asp

|access-date = 2007-12-08

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070403120127/http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/Directory/News_and_Media/Press_office/Press_releases/46043_Hurlingham_and_Chelsea_School_gets_the_all_clear_from_Ofsted.asp

|archive-date = 2007-04-03

}}

In January 2008, the school was recognized as the most improved school in London for the proportion of students achieving at least 7 A*–C grades at GCSE. The federation with both Langford and Sulivan Primary Schools was established in February 2012 to raise educational standards through collaborative efforts and provide an integrated educational, youth, and community program across the Sands End ward. In 2005, Ofsted reported significant improvements in the school's performance. In October 2006, the Local Authority proposed to close the school, but the school successfully campaigned against this decision, leading to the withdrawal of the proposal before adjudication. In 2009, the school received funding to expand and upgrade its facilities, and consider adding a sixth form.{{cite web |url=http://hurlinghamandchelseaschool.com/a-brief-history.html |title=A Brief History |access-date=2013-08-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130716071607/http://hurlinghamandchelseaschool.com/a-brief-history.html |archive-date=2013-07-16 }} In October 2013, the school was placed back into special measures by Ofsted.

In 2014, the school was sponsored by United Learning, and was renamed "The Hurlingham Academy" in 2015.

In 2017, the school became a part of a cluster with The Elms Academy (then named Lambeth Academy) near Clapham Common, allowing both schools to share standards and facilities, and some staff. Holland Park School would later become a part of this cluster, after joining United Learning in 2023. An increasing number of students from the school go on to attend Sixth Form at Elms, as well.

In April 2024, following an Ofsted inspection, the school was officially rated an "Outstanding" school,{{Cite web |last=enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk |first=Ofsted Communications Team |date=2022-07-25 |title=Find an inspection report and registered childcare |url=http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=reports.ofsted.gov.uk}} up from its report in 2017, where it was deemed "Good".

• Carole Caplin, health and wellbeing consultant{{cite news |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/es-magazine-fashion/article-23681501-carry-on-carole.do |title=Carry on Carole |author=Annabel Rivkin |work=ES magazine |publisher=Evening Standard |date=27 April 2009 |access-date=31 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103104916/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/es-magazine-fashion/article-23681501-carry-on-carole.do |archive-date=3 January 2012 }}
• Lauren Mahon, BBC Radio presenter, British cancer activist and founder of Girls vs Cancer.

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.thehurlinghamacademy.org.uk/}}

{{Schools and colleges in Hammersmith and Fulham}}

{{United Learning schools}}

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Category:Secondary schools in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

Category:Academies in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

Category:United Learning schools

Category:Educational institutions established in 1956

Category:1956 establishments in England