Sir Francis Drake school renamed over ‘slave trade links’

A SCHOOL named after Sir Francis Drake will be rebranded owing to the explorer’s “slave trade links”.

The famed navigator became an English national hero for helping to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588, but his legacy was reassessed following Black Lives Matter protests, and his connections to slavery have made him a contentious figure.

The Sir Francis Drake Primary School in south London will be renamed “Twin Oaks Primary”, Karen Cartwright, its head teacher, has announced, informing parents: “The slave trade links associated with the current name sat at odds with the values of our school.”

The primary in Lewisham consulted on a name change last year and received 450 responses from parents, staff, pupils and the community.

A letter sent from the school to parents states that “the majority of respondents voted in favour of changing the school’s current name”, with Twin Oaks – a reference to two trees standing outside the school – found to be the most popular alternative.

The decision to consult on a new name was taken by the school’s governing body, and will require a change of logo for the primary, as the present design depicts a 16th-century ship.