| SPOTLIGHT |
A group of parents have sent Hackney Council a letter before action over its plans to close four local primary schools.
Earlier this week (28 September), the council’s Cabinet decided to proceed to the “next step” in the proposed closures and mergers of a number of schools in Hackney as a result of the “significant decrease in their pupil numbers”.
The council proposes to close four primary schools – De Beauvoir, Randal Cremer, Colvestone and Baden Powell.
Princess May Primary School will take pupils from Colvestone, with children from Baden Powell moving to Nightingale.
The council said the proposals are in response to “an ongoing decline in the number of school-aged children in Hackney. This reduction means 21% of reception places were unfilled in 2022-2023”.
Following the announcement, the Save Colvestone Primary School campaign group has served the council with a letter warning of their intent to take legal action over the closure.
The campaign group argues that the closure of Colvestone and nearby De Beauvoir would mean there would be no non-faith, one-form entry local authority schools within a mile of the Colvestone building.
The group have highlighted the fact that 7% of Colvestone students have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), “more than well above the 4.3% average across the borough”.
The group said on their website: “Many of these children would find the transition particularly challenging. Closing a school with such an unusually high proportion of the most vulnerable children is cruel.”
The group also cited concerns over air pollution, noting that the council is proposing to send students from Colvestone to Princess May, “whose playground is right next to the A10”.
Hackney revealed that once the statutory notices are published, there is a 28-day representation period during which “any person may object to or make comments on the proposals”.
Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Statutory Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Young People and Children's Social Care said: “As a former school teacher myself I know how important our schools are in the lives of our local communities. They are not just a place for children to receive an education, but also hubs that bring people together.
"The financial pressures faced by our schools reflect a London-wide problem. Lower birth rates, the cap on housing benefits, families leaving the capital as a result of the housing crisis, Brexit and the pandemic have led to changes in population that are beyond our control. Unfortunately, the fact that 95% of our primary schools are good or outstanding has not been able to protect them from the reduced demand for school places.”
Cllr Bramble added: “This is no fault of the council or our schools. The council, working with school leaders, has done everything possible to reduce the impact of the falling rolls. As part of our wider commitment to working towards long lasting solutions, we have also asked the Government for more support in funding schools with falling rolls, and greater powers to manage places in free schools and academies.
"Following what the data tells us means that now we have to consider incredibly difficult decisions. But this is the only way to ensure that we can minimise the long-term negative impact on Hackney education and more widely on the council’s budget, at a time of extreme financial pressure.
"We are committed to securing the future of the Hackney family of schools, and we will continue to do everything we can to support them in offering high quality, sustainable education for all our children.”
Save Colverstone Primary School has been approached for comment.
Lottie Winson
