The Department for Education has appointed McLaren Construction to build the Boxing Academy, a 56-student secondary school in Clapton serving 12 to 16-year-olds who need an alternative to mainstream education. The contract has been awarded via the DfE Construction Framework 2021.
The new building relocates temporary facilities on Monteagle Way in Hackney to a nearby site on Brooke Road. Even in its temporary home, the Boxing Academy has again been graded Outstanding across all areas in its latest Ofsted inspection in February 2025.
The Boxing Academy Trust's mission is to provide high-quality education and development through the discipline and ethos of boxing, and it has a history of strong outcomes for students who have struggled in mainstream education. Clever use of a small site by architects Holmes Miller delivers 1,500 square metres of space and brings plentiful daylight into teaching spaces while maintaining a high level of privacy for students. Classrooms are built around a private courtyard.
McLaren Construction’s team will use their experience of working on tight urban sites as they respect neighbouring residents, businesses and a school and manage the restrictions of the adjacent Red Route. Neighbours should be reassured by McLaren’s consistently high scores under the Considerate Constructors Scheme.
In addition to the public benefit delivered by a new school, McLaren is committed to further benefits in the way it delivers the project. McLaren’s team will include T-level placements, apprenticeships and work experience opportunities, while construction careers are promoted to a wider range of local youngsters by McLaren through talks and site visits. The Boxing Academy’s staff, students and parents will follow construction through guided tours and presentations
McLaren Construction’s divisional director Tony Whyte comments, “This purpose-built school centered around the sport of boxing promises to be a landmark in both education and school design. It’s hard to imagine how a school that already scores Outstanding across the board can get better, but the completed building will give them the right environment for getting the best out of all the students.”
Principal of the Boxing Academy, Anna Cain, comments: “Working with McLaren and Holmes Miller on the design has been a rewarding and collaborative process and we are beyond excited to finally start the build phase. The new school will be a centre of excellence for our unique combination of quality education and boxing, which will benefit the staff and students, as well as the local community. The Boxing Academy has been waiting for a permanent home since 2015.”
The Boxing Academy will be the eighth school delivered by McLaren in the London Borough of Hackney. Past projects are Nightingale Primary School, Mossbourne Riverside Academy, Orchard Primary School, Thomas Fairchild Community School, New Regent’s College PRU, the Garden SEN School and New Ickburgh SEN School.
The project is due to complete in September 2026.
