A school named after a slave trader has announced its new name.

Sir John Cass Redcoat School will now be known as Stepney All Saints CofE Secondary.

Work has begun on a new logo, headteacher Paul Woods said. Once it is finalised, students will be provided patches to cover the old logos on their blazers and the school will swap any John Cass branded uniforms on sale.

Mr Woods said in a statement: “Following the name change we will continue to develop our work around the curriculum to ensure that it is inclusive, progressive and prepares students for the modern world.

“The school aims to ensure the curriculum gives each and every student a rich, authentic and unbiased experience of the world we live in and their place in it as equal global citizens.

“We are proud of our school community and will always commit to fighting for a positive change, and appreciate your continued patience as we work hard to get Stepney All Saints School ready for September.”

The school held an emergency meeting in June and announced it would be changing its name following Black Lives Matter protests across the world.

It came after statues were toppled of the slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol and a monument to Robert Milligan in West India Quay was removed in response to the movement, triggered by the death of George Floyd in the US.

Sir John Cass, a former Conservative MP, born in 1665, was a merchant and major figure in the early development of the slave trade.

In 1748 he gave much of his fortune to set up a foundation in his name and many sites in the East End, where he is buried, still bare his name.

The University of East London took down its monument to Cass in June after consultations with its Black Academy, students and staff and announced a “university-wide review” of all sources of historic funding. The Sir John Cass business school has also announced it is changing its name.

Tower Hamlets Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) has called for the Cass name to be removed from all landmarks in the borough.