Hackney Town Hall

Revised proposals to support local schools to continue to improve are being shared with teachers, parents and residents.

The current plans have been shaped following extensive discussions with head teachers, school staff and governors, and will see a Hackney Schools Group Board established.

This independent board will provide advice and guidance to the Hackney Learning Trust on key educational issues.The Board will act in an advisory role, championing educational excellence in the local school system, promoting improvement, high standards, and ensuring fair access and inclusion for all young people.

One of the key aims of the board is to involve headteachers in shaping local policies and to enable schools to work more closely together to share expertise. It will bring together local schools and academies, the Council, independent professionals and Hackney’s Director of Education, with an independent Chair.

Sub-groups will focus on issues including professional development, educational standards and support for vulnerable children.Over the last year, the Council has considered various options to create a schools-led improvement group - including establishing the Hackney Schools Group as a legal entity which would bring schools together under existing federation legislation - in response to feedback from headteachers and governing bodies, concerned about the impact of Government education reform.

It followed the Hackney Schools For Everyone consultation, which found that residents were concerned about forced academisation and selection based on academic ability and that they wanted the Council to retain its role in education.Since then, government policies have changed, and while feedback from schools showed strong support for a schools-led improvement board and teachers were keen to get more involved in shaping policy, they felt a federation model was not necessary now.