Author: Blake Foster

Mawney Foundation School in Mawney Road was visited by the education watchdog in May and the finds were published on June 25. The school was deemed ‘good’ in all five categories of quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision. Inspectors said: “The school has high ambitions for what pupils can achieve and how they should conduct themselves. “Pupils flourish at this caring and welcoming school and they understand and demonstrate the importance of treating others with respect, regardless of their differences.” As well as the positive behaviour of pupils, Ofsted noted the…

Big Zeeks, who also goes by the name Fresh Prince of Harlesden, gave away more than 800 meals outside Housewife Cash & Carry, in Craven Park Road, Harlesden, on June 20. The 36-year-old father-of-two, whose real name is Ezekiel Zeeks, was holding his third Harlesden Community Payback day and managed to get big names on board. “It was an absolutely amazing day, we ended up doing so much,” he said. “We did a tidy up yesterday and realised between £13,000 to £15,000 worth of goods were given out in my community.  “We got support from big brands including Nike, who…

Two bins have been located in Tottenham, one at the White Hart Lane recreation ground, the other at Tottenham Green outside the old Tottenham Town Hall. “One life lost to knife crime is one too many,” Haringey Council cabinet member Ajda Ovat said. “It’s fundamentally important that we get these dangerous weapons off of the streets to prevent people getting seriously harmed or fatally injured. “We’re determined to minimise the risks of falling victim to zombie knives, ninja swords and other weapons that should now be taken to the surrender bins. We urge anyone who has one of these dangerous blades…

The pilot, which involved 17 companies, ended with a 100% success rate. All of the companies that took part have decided to continue working a shorter working week at the end of the trial. One chief executive praised the pilot and said they “expect that most organisations will be doing this in the next 10 years”. New four-day working week trial has perfect success rate The six-month trial began last November and was organised by the 4 Day Week Foundation. According to a report on the trial, organisations involved were able to maintain service levels and key performance indicators whilst observing several benefits for…

Now Barnet residents are being asked to share their views on the council’s new domestic abuse and violence against women strategy. The draft strategy was developed with Barnet victims and survivors and it attempts to ensure men, boys, transgender and non-binary people also benefit. A Barnet Council consultation, which closes on August 4, outlines the definition of ‘abusive behaviour’ as well as the number of cases reported to the police in Barnet in the last three years.  The draft strategy cites data showing 9,437 domestic abuse cases were reported to the police between April 2022 and March 2025.  During that…

The entrepreneurial youngsters are displaying the fresh fruit and vegetables they have grown at their schools for shoppers at Barking Market on Friday (July 4) if you’re looking for bargain healthy produce. They have been taking part in food education programmes run by the School Food Matters charity, with the blessing of Barking and Dagenham Council’s trading standards team. The two programmes, called Know our Onions and Young Marketeers, give children a chance to grow food from seed with the help of expert gardeners, before harvesting and selling it to the public. MORE NEWS: Children pitch ideas for social change at…

The Elephant Hackney, located off Mare Street, is set to open its doors on July 9. The pub will be offering a menu created by chef Francesco Sarvonio, known for his work at “nose-to-tail” Shoreditch Italian-inspired restaurant Manteca. Hackney’s Elephant pub relaunches with Rum Kitchen’s Stevie Thomas and Chef Sarvonio (Image: lateef.photography) Dishes will include regional Italian favourites and British seasonal produce such as frittatina with peas and basil, ox cheek croquettes with anchovy mayo, and rotating specials like ziti Genovese ragù. Neapolitan pizzas will also feature prominently, with options like the elephant marinara with caper leaves and confit garlic,…

Leah Detheridge from Bartholomew School who won two awards, said: “The award ceremony was amazing. I have really enjoyed this whole process and was excited to be a winner. “This experience has helped me to discover my strengths as a journalist and non-fiction writer and develop my skills in the industry.” Amelie Myhill from Colchester Sixth Form, added: “Having the opportunity to attend the 2025 Young Reporters awards was such a proud moment for me, to be recognised alongside such talented people and a real reminder that young voices do have a place in the big league of journalism.” The ceremony…

As Love Island’s tenth anniversary series heats up in sun-drenched Mallorca, two contestants from London continue to cause a stir, and they’re not just turning heads, they’re turning the whole villa upside down. With shock dumpings, bombshell arrivals, and an all-new ‘Sleepover Villa’ twist, this summer of love has already proven unpredictable. But through it all, two familiar faces from the capital – Dejon Noel-Williams and Helena Ford – are still in the running, and there’s plenty of drama surrounding both. Dejon Noel-Williams – the personal trainer with famous roots Dejon Noel-Williams (Image: Love Island/ITV) Since entering the villa on…

John was found unresponsive by his son, Christopher, on Christmas morning and died days later – a post-mortem did not link his death to the incident but Christopher said he believes Olagunju’s actions contributed to his sudden death.  It has now emerged that Olagunju went on to be employed on a stroke ward at Homerton University Hospital just months after her sacking, with the trust acknowledging it was unaware of the criminal investigation.  Last week Olagunju was given a six-week suspended sentence after Woolwich Crown Court heard she subjected John to violent and degrading treatment including dragging him around by the…