portland place 25 years

Among the magnificent Georgian buildings of Portland Place near Regents Park students and staff are celebrating. This academic year marks the 25th Anniversary of Portland Place School, founded by the visionary head of science at St Paul’s Girls School, Richard Walker. At its creation in 1996, Portland Place School was the first independent co-educational school in central London for more than a century.

The school have several activities planned to mark the anniversary, which will include the installation of a 4-metre-high mural. The students collaborated with artist Tom Berry over the Easter term to create a design. First using screen-printing, site drawings, lino printing, and cyanotypes to record and visualise school values, local landmarks and other elements relevant to the students and school community. 

The mural will be installed in the newly refurbished Art, Science and Drama building and unveiled as part of the Celebration Day art exhibition at the end of June.

The school still embodies the original founding values, and the head David Bradbury is passionate about nurturing students to reach their academic potential and achieve a real-life education.

He says: ‘We are delighted to be celebrating 25 years here at Portland Place. As a school that has been described by the Good Schools Guide as a ‘haven of creativity’ this incredible mural seems a fitting tribute that will capture the spirit of our school community.’

See Portland Place’s online listing here.