It was fantastic this weekend to see a former student of ours, Chuba Akpom, being signed for the great Northern Club, Middlesborough FC.

Twenty four year old Chuba remains in close contact with our school and often comes back  to visit to inspire the next generation if Bonaventurians. He is always very positive and in 2015 when he was playing for Arsenal this article appeared on their website and magazine that mentions St Bonaventure’s.

“Akpom attended St. Bonaventure’s School in Forest Gate, a school with a healthy production line in footballers that counts the likes of Chris Hughton and Jermain Defoe among its former alumni. In fact, such was Chuba’s prowess in front of goal that he ended up breaking the latter’s school goals record.

“St. Bon’s is probably one of the top schools in the area, so everyone wants to go there. We always had a good football team, athletics team and basketball team. There were a lot of good coaches but I think the main reason for its success is that everyone loved football so much and there was a massive passion for it.

“That’s what the teachers told me,” he says with a grin. “I can’t remember exactly how many I scored. I wasn’t aiming for it but I remember coming in one day and being told that I’d done it – I was buzzing because I knew that he had scored a lot. At the time I was scoring four or five goals a game.

“I still go back there now, to do talks and meet the kids. There are some who look up to me now so I have to conduct myself right and show them that only hard work can get you here. When I talk to all the young kids, I just tell them to keep working hard and not to let anyone tell them that they can’t do something.”

Everyone at school wishes him well in Teesside and The Boro.