Scrutiny commission launches questionnaire about unregistered schools
Hackney’s Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission is inviting people to share their experiences of unregistered educational settings as part of its ongoing review.
The Commission has launched a questionnaire, following a series of meetings to gather views as part of the Commissions’ ongoing investigation. The review seeks to establish whether the Council is doing all it can to ensure the quality of education, the safety and safeguarding of children in unregistered educational settings in Hackney.
Hackney’s five scrutiny commissions scrutinise the work of the Council. Every year, each Commission picks a topic to investigate, and make recommendations to the Council’s Cabinet, led by the Mayor of Hackney. They also discuss other key issues affecting the borough. The Children and Young People Scrutiny Commission examines services provided by children’s social services and the Hackney Learning Trust, as well as other issues relating to young people in Hackney.
During the investigation, the Commission has invited guests to give evidence and share their experiences at the Town Hall. Guests have included representatives from Ofsted; London Fire Brigade Borough Commander Steve Dudeney; Chaya Spitz, of Interlink Foundation; Rabbi Pinter, of the London Jewish Forum and Principal of Yesodey Hatorah Girls’ School in Stamford Hill; Joseph Stauber, head of Talmud Torah Yetev Lev school; Alta Fogel, representing the Satmar community; City and Hackney Safeguarding Children’s Board and members of Hackney Council staff from its education, planning and social care teams.
Throughout this piece of work, it’s been really important to the Commission that we hear from a wide range of people who can offer different views and experiences. We understand that the issue of unregistered schools is very sensitive, so we want to give people – particularly those who’ve experience of yeshivas - an opportunity to share their views anonymously.
We’ve launched a questionnaire on our website and have sent paper copies to local independent Orthodox Jewish schools and community settings. The questionnaire gives plenty of free space for people to share their experiences. This input will feed into our report and recommendations to Cabinet.
Paper copies are being sent to local schools, synagogues and Stamford Hill Library, and the questionnaire can also be completed online at https://consultation.hackney.gov.uk/overview-and-scrutiny/unregistered-education.
The deadline for submitting evidence is 26 March. The final report will be published in the summer.