Principal Anna Jordan says her pupils draw from values of fearlessness despite the 2017 tragedy overshadowing her school Kensington Aldridge Academy is overshadowed by the grim spectacle of a tower clad in white plastic sheeting. Upon it, a banner reads: Grenfell, forever in our hearts. For the school鈥檚 community, led by its principal, Anna Jordan, the fire that claimed 72 lives, including five of its pupils, will always be in their hearts. But Jordan is determined it doesn鈥檛 overshadow pupils鈥 prospects. Grenfell Tower today She鈥檚 鈥渘ervous鈥 about talking about Grenfell because she鈥檚 determined the school should not be defined by the tragedy. Since the fire in 2017, Jordan 鈥 who has worked for KAA since it was founded 10 years ago 鈥 has gone above and beyond to help local families rebuild their lives. The task is made harder because nobody has been prosecuted over the disaster, and the government is yet to decide on the tower鈥檚 future. The 鈥渉uge amount of anger and emotion鈥 the community felt was further inflamed by the recent publication of the public inquiry鈥檚 damning final report, which blamed cladding manufacturers and successive governments for failing to deal with safety concerns. Jordan says that while young people everywhere are struggling post-Covid with their mental health, 鈥渨e feel that magnified here鈥 as 鈥減eople are waiting for answers鈥. But the principal and her team are fully focused on helping students channel that emotion into a force for good. Painting by ex KAA pupil and artist Georgina Smith Intrepid spirit A colourful painting of smiling KAA pupils by former pupil Georgina Smith, 19, (who spoke at the inquiry), takes pride of place in Jordan鈥檚 office. She praises the former Grenfell resident for being 鈥渧ocal鈥 and 鈥渁 great example of the community trying to move forward鈥. She embodies the spirit of 鈥業ntrepidus鈥, the motto which KAA鈥檚 first principal David Benson gave the school. He had no idea then how the word would come to perfectly capture the values pupils would need to draw upon. Pupils are commended on the school鈥檚 noticeboard for 鈥渟howing intrepidus in everything they do鈥. Jordan left the Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College in Altrincham, Manchester, where she鈥檇 worked for the previous decade, to help Benson set up KAA as a deputy head. A message from Sir Rod Aldridge greets pupils as they come into the school While South Kensington is known for its wealth and glamour, the north of the borough where KAA is located is one of the country鈥檚 most deprived postcodes. Half the borough鈥檚 secondary pupils attend independent schools, and Capita founder built KAA here because there was no state school provision. When the 拢80 million school was still a building site its leadership team visited other schools across the country for inspiration. The culture they came up with was based around KAA pupils 鈥渘eeding joy in their school day鈥. Jordan says there are 鈥渘o silent corridors鈥. Pupils are given free 鈥渇ull-on鈥 breakfasts from 8am. Key stage three pupils get half an hour of daily guided reading to create a 鈥渞eally positive introduction to the school day鈥. And house competitions create 鈥渆xcuses for the relationships to grow between staff and students鈥. Beyond the curriculum Jordan is grateful her own happy schooling experience, at Sedgehill School (now academy) in Catford, southeast London, gave her extra-curricular opportunities: exchange trips to France and Russia, a minibus trip to Slovakia and the chance to canoe in the London Youth Games. She and Benson wanted to create similar opportunities at KAA. KAA and Grenfell Tower in the background At first, extra-curricular activities were made mandatory, with every pupil made to stay at school until 5pm. That rule was later relaxed, but while 鈥渂ig numbers鈥 still do extracurricular activities, Jordan wishes it was more as they 鈥済et so much from it鈥. It鈥檚 harder to arrange international trips after Brexit and Covid too, with 鈥渕uch greater finance and red tape barriers鈥. But KAA still does its best. Its pupil premium intake (60 per cent of its cohort) is funded for such excursions by its 鈥減henomenal鈥 charitable wing, KAA Intrepidus Trust. Through Aldridge, KAA has forged links with independent schools including Charterhouse and Godolphin, whose curriculum leaders helped design its curriculum. Nearby Latymer Upper School accommodated KAA鈥檚 sixth formers following the fire, and others help KAA pupils prepare for interviews and with Oxbridge applications. The school collects food for local families too, but while KAA has 鈥渢hought about鈥 becoming a community hub for local support services, as some other schools and trusts are doing, Jordan believes now is 鈥渘ot the right time鈥. School staff are already 鈥渃aught up in conversations they’re not equipped to deal with鈥, she adds. 鈥淭here isn鈥檛 anything at our school that isn鈥檛 trauma-informed.鈥 Anna Jordan KAA principal Grenfell fire For Jordan, that trauma began when she was woken at 1.30am on June 14 seven years ago by a phone call telling her a blaze had broken out at Grenfell Tower, across the road from her home. Her initial sense of horror, still 鈥渧ery difficult鈥 to talk about, turned to action as it became apparent the fire had destroyed KAA鈥檚 playground and smoke damage had made its building 鈥渦ninhabitable鈥. Jordan spent that weekend rewriting the school timetable at her parents鈥 house 鈥 her dad is a former social services chairman and her mum is a former secondary headteacher. Pupils were rehoused in other schools while 鈥渢he fastest school ever built鈥 was establishedfrom Portakabins in nine weeks, just a 15-minute walk away. (KAA still retains the site, which proved 鈥渉elpful鈥 during Covid.) David Benson At first 鈥渕aintaining the feel of the school was incredibly difficult鈥, Jordan says. Then, after the permanent school building was repaired, there was lingering 鈥渘ervousness鈥 about moving back. 鈥淭he later it got in the year, the more [the reluctance] was about emotion and trauma.鈥 Over the following months, Jordan 鈥渨ent into overdrive鈥. All staff and students, for example, went on year-group residential trips that summer. It wasn鈥檛 until October that the emotional toll really hit her, but the move back to the permanent site the following September gave Jordan further insight into how trauma triggers people 鈥渋n different ways鈥. 鈥淧articularly affected鈥 pupils found taking exams in the sports hall or dance studio, located nearest to Grenfell, 鈥渞eally difficult鈥. Windows overlooking the tower are still covered in wrapping to prevent pupils having to see it. The first fire drill after Grenfell was a 鈥渞eally difficult experience鈥 for Jordan. Several staff still require 鈥渁dvance warning鈥 of tests so they鈥檙e 鈥渘ot retraumatised鈥. When KAA commemorates Grenfell鈥檚 anniversary, Jordan is mindful to prepare new staff for 鈥渉ow they might see students or parents react鈥, and 鈥渟o they don鈥檛 feel excluded from what the school’s been through鈥 they need to own that in the same way that everybody else does鈥. The school has multiple therapists on site 鈥渁ll day every day鈥. Although the initial trauma support 鈥渢ailed off鈥 over time, 鈥渋t鈥檚 picked up again鈥 recently, partly due to anger over the inquiry. Community anger over Grenfell is still very evident in the neighbourhood Recruitment woes Jordan鈥檚 consideration of her staff鈥檚 feelings are reflected in the school鈥檚 outstanding 2017 and 2024 Ofsted reports, praising the school鈥檚 鈥渆xceptionally high鈥 staff morale. Given this commendation, and the school being a high-profile performing and creative arts specialist academy located near the Royal Academy of Dance and the BBC and ITV headquarters, you might assume that recruiting a drama teacher would be easy. Yet KAA is having to try to find someone from overseas after three unsuccessful recruitment rounds. Five years ago they were 鈥渋nundated鈥 with 40 applicants for one drama role. Now, 鈥渦niversities aren’t training drama teachers鈥. 鈥淚f we’re struggling, then other schools must be on their knees,鈥 says Jordan. Music is also tricky; 鈥淗ardly any鈥 local state schools offer GCSE or A-level music courses anymore. Jordan also finds herself 鈥渂utting against a brick wall鈥 when it comes to the funding for performing and creative arts. It would be 鈥渄isastrous鈥 for KAA to lose this thread, but she鈥檚 鈥渨ondering how viable it is next year鈥. Meanwhile, the local independent schools are investing ever greater amounts of 鈥渕oney and time鈥 into cultural capital initiatives. 鈥淲e just can’t compete with that but we want to, because otherwise we’re compounding our pupils鈥 disadvantage.鈥 Sign showing anger over lack of Grenfell safety measures Managing tensions To counter that disadvantage, KAA has a large pastoral team, with two heads of year for each year group and regular parent coffee mornings. Despite this, parent complaints have risen since Covid. Jordan says 鈥渋t’s a small number of very difficult complaints, and in every situation, it’s because the family are living through really complicated circumstances鈥. She adds: 鈥淪ometimes, it鈥檚 hard to know what to do. I find myself wanting to say, 鈥榩lease just trust us that we’re doing the right thing鈥. But it comes down to a lack of faith in the future and the world around us.鈥 Remembering Grenfell next to the school That鈥檚 been worsened by the crisis in the Middle East. KAA has Jewish pupils as well as a large Moroccan Muslim community. Pupil protests took place shortly after Jordan became principal, and were 鈥減robably鈥 her 鈥渢oughest experience鈥 in leadership. But Jordan 鈥渃an鈥檛 imagine ever moving on鈥 from KAA. She doubts she 鈥渃ould find a school where the staff are as good or as committed鈥. The way that 鈥減upils and staff took care of each other鈥 in the aftermath of Grenfell is what she鈥檚 most proud of in her career. 鈥淭hat legacy of care has remained鈥, she believes. 鈥淏ut it needs nurturing鈥. Anna Jordan KAA principal