School History

St Helen's is a Catholic primary school situated in the London Borough of Newham. It is part of the Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy Trust. The first school in the Parish (St Margaret's) was founded in 1870 behind the current Parish church on the Barking Road. In 1908 an additional school was built on the land adjacent to the current convent building. Both St Helen's and St Margaret's schools were destroyed in World War II. St Helen's was rebuilt in a bungalow style building and reopened in 1951 with support from the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.

By 2002, the 1950's building was no longer suitable to educate children for the 21st century and the Governors embarked on a mission to rebuild St Helen's. In 2009 the third St Helen's school, on this site, was open to the children and has continued to flourish and grow with our pre-school for two year olds opening in September 2013.

On the 6th of July 2018 the school celebrated it's 110th anniversary with a wonderful range of events to mark it's history.
​The school produced a history booklet about the school. Please click the link below to read it.

St Helen's 110 Year Anniversary Booklet

110th Anniversary

The celebrations included burying a time capsule to be dug up in 50 years time, an Edwardian dress up day, where children learnt about the history of the school, a street style party afternoon on the playground, an Open Day Fete style event, a special mass celebrated by Bishop Alan and a meal with a range of past pupils, staff and governors. The children in the school wrote the lyrics for a special anniversary song called 'Super St Helen's' and designed a stained glass window to mark the occasion too.