Hackney Council’s statement following the publishing of the Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review - Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy

We recognise that the publishing of Sir Alan Wood’s independent Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review this week is a critical moment in addressing concerns raised about children’s experiences at Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy. We know that the review and related themes may cause upset for children and young people, their families, staff, and our communities in general.

We are taking the necessary time to fully consider the report’s findings and how we can further strengthen our support for schools, settings, and partners, ensuring our education offer unequivocally puts the wellbeing of our children and young people first.

As a local authority, our ability to influence the policies of academy schools is limited. While schools have the statutory freedom to determine their curriculum and policies, including behaviour policies, this freedom must respect the Department for Education’s guidance. Safeguarding, equality, and advocacy for the vulnerable and disadvantaged must remain central to all school approaches. 

The Council remains committed to its long-term vision: a borough where every Hackney child and young person, regardless of background, has the resilience, support, and opportunity to lead a happy, healthy life. We are dedicated to finding the balance between high expectations and clear boundaries, while fostering inclusion, empathy, and resilience.

This commitment underpins our new Education Strategic Plan, which aims to deliver a child-focused, strong, fair, anti-racist and inclusive education offer. In support of this, we are actively shaping our new Alternative Learning Service to promote inclusion and prioritise children and young people’s sense of belonging. 

We know that achieving our vision requires true partnership with our families, schools, and partners. Our immediate focus will continue to be on building positive relationships, repairing harm, and addressing underlying needs. We will maintain close engagement with the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership, the Department for Education, Ofsted, and the Mossbourne Federation, to robustly serve and advocate for our children and families.

Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Young People and Children’s Social Care

Further information

In December 2024, Sir Alan Wood CBE was commissioned by the City of London & Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership (CHSCP) to look into concerns raised by a number of parents about the experiences of their children at Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA). The terms of reference of the review can be found on the CHSCP website.

Parents and carers can find more information about how they can raise concerns about schools on the Hackney Council’s education website, at https://education.hackney.gov.uk/content/complaints-procedure. 

Anyone that has any concerns about the safety of a child in Hackney should contact Hackney Children and Families Services Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub, at mash@hackney.gov.uk.

Hackney Council has previously lobbied the Government regarding the limited means by which local authorities can influence policies within non-maintained schools and will continue to make this case whenever necessary.