Happy, healthy and heard: Our vision for Hackney’s children and young people

This year, Hackney reached an impressive milestone: all of our maintained schools have now received good or outstanding ratings from Ofsted in all judgement areas. Last year, our primary schools were third in the country for attainment in the Year 6 National Curriculum tests. Hackney’s secondary schools show exceptional progress for their children, as outlined by the performance data published by the Department for Education. This success is particularly note-worthy for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with an education, health and care plan (EHCP), where Hackney ranked second in the country for improving outcomes (progress 8 scores). 

We are incredibly proud to celebrate these achievements, a result of the relentless work, dedication and passion of our school leaders, staff and partners. None of this would be possible without our amazing and hard working students and the families that support them. From this foundation, Hackney’s family of schools will continue to do their absolute best to serve the ever evolving needs of our communities, and foster the ambition, talent and love of learning amongst our children. 

Hackney is changing, and as leaders it is important we respond to the changes. We have some big challenges ahead, and we must look at more responsive ways of deciding how to prioritise our work, as we continue to fight for the best possible outcomes for all of our children. 

We have fewer children being born and living in Hackney, and a higher proportion of them have greater needs than ever before. 46% of Hackney pupils are disadvantaged, and the demand for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and social care support is rising. The children’s social care reform and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will bring further changes to the ways in which we prioritise our work.  

 Like many Councils, we have limited resources available.  It is therefore more important than ever that, together with our partners, we continue to look for long term solutions to ensure that children and young people from all backgrounds have access to the same level of help, quality education and opportunities.

‘It takes a village to raise a child’. The duty and privilege of looking after the best interests of our children is one that we share with their parents and carers, with other public authorities and with partners from the voluntary and community sectors. Our Children & Family Hubs are a great example of how this partnership can successfully work in practice, bringing together professionals from different areas of work in a one-stop shop offering the best start in life for Hackney families, their babies and children. We have many strong school collaborations and federations, which show how working together can have a positive impact on the education of our children. 

We must continue to work together and to adapt so that all children have everything they need to grow up happy, healthy and heard, and to ensure no family is left behind.  Only by acknowledging our collective responsibility can we ensure that Hackney remains the vibrant, open and welcoming borough for all, a place that we are all proud to call home. 

The outcomes of our children consistently rank above national averages, but we know there is more work to be done to ensure that all our young people are happy and confident in their future. We will continue to work with our schools and our partners as part of our pioneering systemic, anti-racist, and trauma-informed approach to children’s services and education, so that no child is left behind or excluded. 

Our families, in particular those that have been underserved in the past, should know they can trust us to care not just about the outcomes of their children, but also about their wellbeing and their opportunities outside of school. The Hackney Music Service, our adventure playgrounds and our youth hubs continue to offer ways for our young people to connect outside of the formal school spaces, discover shared interests and learn more about each other. Our 10x10 programme, launched less than a year ago, is just one example of the ways in which we are looking at creative new ways of partnering with other organisations to the greater benefit of our youngest residents. We are developing an Additional and Alternative Learning Service, designed to drive inclusion, ensuring that all pupils have the right support for their needs, so they can remain in the appropriate school or setting for them.

Our children should grow up healthy and protected, and able to access the right support at the right time. The City & Hackney health partnership looks at the needs of our families and ensures they have access to the high quality healthcare they deserve. Our Early Help services work together to ensure that all Hackney’s children and young people, and their families, have access to the opportunities, resources and support needed to lead healthy, successful lives. We invested in creating hundreds of new school places for children and young people with SEND in the last four years, in response to growing demand. Our partnerships with local organisations promote healthy life habits amongst our communities, offering access to a range of activities for children and school staff, such as swimming lessons, healthy cooking or gardening classes, and many more. Our Wellbeing and Mental Health in Schools (WAMHS) project, led by the CAMHS Alliance with the support of the Children and Young People’s Integrated Commissioning work stream in City and Hackney,   has been transformative in supporting schools to look after the wellbeing of their students, helping them build resilience and coping skills in students and identify and access additional support if needed.

We remain ambitious for our future, and we want to make sure that we get our priorities right even in these times of immense pressures and uncertainty. Children and their families remain at the heart of our plans, and we are listening to their voices and adjusting our approach based on what they tell us they need. 

Embracing and cherishing the many voices and lived experiences that show Hackney’s diversity is one of our proudest values, and something we need to preserve. But we cannot do this alone. 

We hope all of our families, schools, settings and partners join us in looking at positive, meaningful ways in which we can prioritise our work and spend our resources where they are most needed. We are confident that by working together we can turn this transformation yet again into another Hackney success story. 

Change may be difficult, but it is also the way in which we can truly innovate.

Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Deputy Mayor of Hackney and Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Young People