The Worshipful Company of Fletchers are delighted to be associated with four City Academies: the City of London Academy Islington, the City Academy Hackney (whose crest is shown above), the City of London Academy Southwark and the City of London Freemen’s School.

The longest link, dating back at least to 1978 is with the City of London Freemen’s School now based in Ashtead, Surrey although originally opened in 1854 in Brixton as the City of London Freemen’s Orphan School.  The school has been co-educational from the outset and now takes pupils from 7 to 18.  Our records show that between 1978 and 1987 we supported a series of Sixth form Scholarships but in 1982 we started giving an annual prize for “Junior Craft” which, for a while, was joined by a “Junior Needlework” prize but in 1998 this changed to the current arrangement which supports prizes for “Junior Design Technology” and for “Upper Junior Food Technology”.  In 2015, the 600th Anniversary of Agincourt, the Company held an essay competition for several City schools and the prize was awarded to a pupil from the City of London Freemen’s School.  Each year the Master Fletcher and Clerk are invited to attend Prize Day at the school along with the other Livery Masters and, frequently, the Lord Mayor.

First of the academies to join us was Southwark based in Bermondsey.  We started with an Upper Sixth prize for Art (coupled with a perpetual prize arrow trophy) and, later, we added an additional Upper Sixth prize for Music Technology (coupled with a perpetual shield trophy).  We now give book prizes to two pupils in each of the two prize categories.  Prize giving is usually in early Summer and the several fletchers who have attended over the years will carry the memory of a sea of purple blazers as well as the smiling faces.

The City of London Academy Islington was founded in 2008 and is supported by the City and the City University.  Its four houses are named after livery companies.  Fletchers’ House has the motto ‘Stay Sharp – Hit the Mark’.  Our prizes are exclusively awarded to Fletchers’ House recognising contribution rather than attainment. 

The City of London Academy, Hackney (co-sponsored by KPMG) where, since 2018 we have awarded two annual book prizes for GCSE history and geography coupled with a perpetual arrow trophy and a perpetual shield trophy, respectively.  The distinguishing feature of the Hackney Founder’s Day each November is that of surprise, in that none of the pupils attending is told in advance whether they have won or not, leading to a genuinely emotional event.