Attlee & The East End Then & Now 2023

Professor Jon Davis is Director of the Strand Group at King’s College London. His research and work focus on the contemporary history British central government. He is the co-author with The Independent’s John Rentoul of ‘Heroes or Villains?: The Blair Government Reconsidered’ which became the basis for BBC Two’s five-part documentary series ‘Blair and Brown: The New Labour Revolution’. Professor Davis’s Cabinet Office-sponsored PhD was published as ‘Prime Ministers and Whitehall, 1960-74’ in 2007.
Professor Davis lectures at King’s College London on the history of Prime Ministers and Chancellors and on modules partnered with No.10 Downing Street. Before joining King’s, Professor Davis spent a total of eighteen years at Queen Mary, University of London, and rose to be a Lecturer in the Department of History, Director of the Mile End Group (2004-14), overseeing more than 100 increasingly high-profile events over more than a decade, and Associate Director of Corporate Affairs.
Attlee Academy
TRANSFORMING FUTURES: BURSARIES FROM ALLHALLOWS
“We are pleased to announce that the Attlee Foundation has recently been awarded a grant of £25,000 from the Aldgate and Allhallows Foundation to fund a new programme of bursaries to support bright, disadvantaged young people to stay on in education. These Attlee Foundation/Aldgate and Allhallows bursaries will start in 2025 and be delivered in partnership with the Attlee 6th Form Academy in Tower Hamlets.”
This incredible gift will empower five ambitious students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue their dreams of higher education. Each selected student will receive £5,000 towards their university journey, breaking down financial barriers and opening doors to new possibilities
What This Mean:
- Life-changing support for five deserving students
- £5,000 per student towards higher education costs
- Real opportunities for talented minds to flourish
- A stronger, more diverse future workforce
- A stronger, more diverse future workforce
To Allhallows: Your generosity doesn’t just fund education – it builds futures, transforms lives, and creates lasting impact across generations. Thank you for believing in our students and investing in their potential.
Together, we’re not just supporting education; we’re nurturing dreams, fostering talent, and building a more equitable future for all.
Want to learn more about supporting students? Contact us: attleefoundation.secretary@gmail.com
Students Award Ceremony 2023

Award Ceremonies are always the highlight of the academic year. A time for reflection and celebration as young people move on in their lives to university and employment. The event at the Attlee A’ level Academy on 27th June was no exception. As students, friends and families gathered at the Poplar campus of New City College you could feel the buzz. I was delighted to see colleagues from the Academy and fellow trustees, Martin and Mohon, among those gathered to celebrate the success and achievements of the Attlee A Level students.
After a warm welcome from the Principal, Alison Arnaud, the ceremony was led by Sulliman Peerbacos, the Director of the Attlee A Level Academy. Before each presentation we heard a little about the winners, accompanied by a short video, showing their journey through the Academy, their success and achievements. Some individuals had overcome many barriers and hardships to reach their goal and this was heart warming.
Between the presentations there was a poetry reading by Avril Forbes of a work she had written especially for the evening. Avril, who won two prizes, was the proud recipient of the Deputy Principal’s award for outstanding achievement.
The guest speaker was Victor Radev, the winner of our first Attlee Essay Writing Competition. It was lovely to see Victor again and hear how he is progressing in his studies. He gave a very moving speech which is below for you to read. He is a great ambassador for the Academy and the Attlee Foundation.
Further presentations followed and then, after a lot of clapping and cheering the evening came to a close with a delightful piano performance by Daniil Kucalov. Daniil was also the recipient of the Ambassador of the Year Award.
Over the past year our links with the Attlee A’ level Academy have strengthened and it was a great pleasure to attend the Awards Ceremony, building on our relationship and extending our support for the people and area of London that Clement Attlee so loved.
Student from Attlee Academy
Victor Radev’s speech for the Attlee A’ Level Academy Awards 27th June 2023
Boring can be good. How modest Clement Attlee’s unflashy ideas changed Britain
“Attlee was a gifted manager, who showed it possible for modest politicians to be successful if they have decent ideas” Read more
Our PMs Should Try To Emulate Clement Attlee’s Quiet Authority
The Attlee Foundation’s Chair of Trustees, Alun Evans, has written an article to mark 140 years since Clement Attlee’s birth (3rd January). “In the era of flamboyant politicians, many of whom promise the world yet often deliver almost nothing, perhaps we need the quieter Attlee style of premiership once again.” Read More