SCHOOLS FAIL DESPITE HUGE FUNDING

Hackney primary schools are scoring the worst results in the country, despite receiving massive government funding to boost their performances, writes Rachel Rouse.

Over the last three years, Hackney primary school pupils have achieved the lowest grades in the country at Key Stage 2, the current yardstick of academic success at primary school level. But figures presented in the House of Commons last week raised fears that the money being poured into the borough’s schools is doing little to improve results.

Jim Knight, minister for schools, released records showing that over the last eight years primary school pupils in Hackney have been receiving more funding per student than in any other borough in the country, barring neighbouring Tower Hamlets.

Last year Hackney primary schools were allocated £5,810 per pupil, far above the national average of £3,770 per pupil.

Critics are now suggesting that The Learning Trust, the company responsible for primary education in Hackney, is failing to make use of this extra cash to improve results.

In August 2002 it took over the responsibility for education in Hackney from the local Council. This was the first time a private, not-for-profit company was put in charge of managing the education of an entire borough and its progress is being closely followed.

Nick Morris, Governor at Randall Cremer Primary School in Haggerston, is concerned that Hackney’s children are getting a raw deal because the company has failed to put the extra funding to good use.

He said: “Financially here people have got the worst deal. But the Learning Trust didn’t do anything quickly enough. Their motto is ‘Education for the Future’ and this is a very crass motto. The future is too late. It’s now these kids need to be helped.”

But a spokesperson for The Learning Trust defended its record saying: “You look at the big picture and you see all this money but then you break it down and mostly it’s all been allocated. Every pupil will get ‘x’ amount then a range of top-ups are allocated to special needs, free school meals and English as a foreign language.

“Since Hackney is one of the most deprived areas in London, with quite a number of special educational needs and more than 50 per cent of children with English as an additional language, a lot of the money will go towards this expenditure.”