Situated in the shadow of West Ham’s new London Stadium home, there aren’t many places that would be more appropriate to build the Bobby Moore Academy.

Newham Recorder: Stephanie Moore cements a plaque to mark her visitStephanie Moore cements a plaque to mark her visit (Image: Archant)

The all-through school is set to welcome its first cohort of 11-year-olds in September, and principal Stuart Burns is excited by the interest shown by prospective pupils and parents.

“We had more than 500 applications to the school, and we’re going to take 120 pupils,” he said.

“We’ve been really delighted that people have been reacting positively.

“A lot of them are from Newham, but we’ve also got pupils from Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.”

Newham Recorder: Stephanie Moore cements a plaque to mark her visitStephanie Moore cements a plaque to mark her visit (Image: Archant)

When full, the school will have 400 pupils at its primary site and 1,500 at its secondary site.

The two are just a five minute walk apart, and Mr Burns hopes to foster close links between the sites.

“We’re two sites but one school, and that’s important,” he said.

“We’ve got good science facilities in the primary school, so we want to bring specialist teachers over.

“We also want to have some of the older pupils and sixth formers help the younger ones.”

Stephanie Moore, Bobby’s widow, visited the school on Thursday to see its progress, with a plaque installed to mark the occasion.

She said: “The best thing you can give children after love is a fine education.

“I think it will be a great inspiration.”

On the school’s name, she added: “I think he would have been very proud.

Rafael Marks, project leader art architects Penoyre and Prasad, said he was pleased to see his design become reality.

He said: “It would be great to be here on the first day, to see the children’s faces as they come in.”