“The whole of life is coming to terms with yourself and the natural world. Why are you here? How do you fit in? What’s it all about?”

The College figureheads chosen for years 7 to 11 for the current four colleges represent the spheres of figureheads who encapsulates all of those fields of excellence. Sir David Attenborough has been relentless over many decades in his determination to spotlight the extraordinary diversity that exists within the natural world and how interdependent we are on it. He was warning of an impending climate crisis, the ill-effects of global warming and the outcomes of the loss of natural habitats long before the thinking of the rest of the world caught up and we seek to emulate his determination, resilience and compassion. Our Post-16 students know that their own and future generations will pay the cost of previous generations who did not heed Sir David’s lead in making the world a more peaceful and harmonious place in which we live for everyone and every species. As such, he is a living example of the IB learner profile characteristic of being balanced, which explicitly teaches young people to recognise their interdependence on one another and the world in which they live. 

From September 2022 Attenborough College will be based, with the library, in the centre of the academy building, where you will see the new college name displayed proudly in our college colour, which is purple. Students will enjoy a brand new study centre and additional study space on the upper floor of the library. We hope that students in Mandela, Curie, Seacole and Shakespeare Colleges will aspire to join Attenborough College – and work alongside the great number of students who choose to transfer to The Leigh Academy – for their Post-16 education.

“The future of humanity and, indeed, all life on earth, now depends on us”