Hackney,
06
December
2017
|
10:50
Europe/London

Revealed: Hackney residents have their say on the borough's schools

More than 2,500 residents have had their say on education in Hackney – and the results will help to shape the future of the borough’s schools.

Following a series of major Government announcements about national education policies, the Hackney Schools For Everyone survey aimed to find out about residents’ views on the local education system and what they want it to look like in the future.

The results show that on the whole, respondents believe education in Hackney has improved; they are opposed to academic selection and forced academisation; they believe that the Council should oversee the school admissions process and ensure it’s fair and want our schools to be inclusive.

The Council last surveyed residents about education in 2003, and the response helped to shape the schools it built and the approach Hackney has to education. The 2017 results will help the Council to update our policies and future plans for schools. At this stage the Council has pledged to:

  • Work hard to protect the values that have contributed to the success of our schools
  • Do all we can to maintain the close links to our whole family of schools to ensure we can support them to access important services like school improvement and admissions
  • Respond to future Government policies on behalf of Hackney’s schools, parents and residents
  • Ensure there are adequate school places for local children in Hackney schools
  • Continue to campaign for fair funding for all of our schools, including more funding for special educational needs and disabilities

The questionnaire was sent out with Hackney Today, and a series of focus groups and workshops were held to ensure the responses were as representative of the borough as a whole as possible.

 

Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Deputy Mayor of Hackney
Schools in Hackney have transformed beyond recognition over the last 15 years. Where once we had some of the worst schools, we now have some of the very best, and to enable us to continue to improve, it’s important we understand the sorts of schools our residents want.

Grammar schools and forced academisation may be off the table for now, but they are clearly still on the Government’s agenda, and the responses to this survey will inform our response to national education policies and proposals over the coming years. I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to share their views.
Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Deputy Mayor of Hackney

The full report is available online at www.hackney.gov.uk/education