Acton boasts friendliest school in London

Friends Reunited rank local secondary top amongst capital's schools

Friends Reunited, the website that reunites people with their old school friends has analysed millions of emails sent between the ex-pupils of more than 22,000 secondary schools in Britain to find out who keeps in touch the most.

Now in its second year, the School Friendship League Tables awarded East Acton's Barbara Speake stage school, with the accolade of being the "Friendliest School in London 2005". 

The school was founded more than 50 years ago by Barbara Speake as a teenager just out of ballet school and she is still headmistress today.

Barbara Speake said "Consistency is key to a friendly school. I've been here since the beginning and I think former students like to see the same faces when they come back to visit. The students here are happy because they are doing something they love and making a success of it."

Famous alumni include the actor Jack Wilde, comedian Brian Conley, model Naomi Campbell, Keith Chegwin and rock star Phil Collins.

With more than 12 million registered users, Friends Reunited can give a unique insight into the comparative 'friendliness' of the ex-pupils of every school in Britain. The league tables are formulated by analysing the total number of contact emails sent by the ex-pupils of each school as a proportion of those registered, giving a comparable 'friendliness' rating regardless of the size of school.

November 30, 2005