'London could be childless': Parents and teachers in last-ditch attempt to save Hackney schools from closure
'London could be childless': Parents and teachers in last-ditch attempt to save Hackney schools from closure
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Every day, teacher Carly Slingsby watches scores of young children leave her school in Hackney in search of education elsewhere. The school, St Dominic’s Catholic Primary, is among six in the borough that are facing closure or a merger as a result of a plummeting birth rate which has left nearly a quarter of reception places unfilled since October.
Hackney Council, she says, has already “pulled the plug” without staff having a chance to save their “community hub”. “How long until their reputation is demolished? They are losing all of these amazing staff, these brilliant teachers,” she told the Standard.
“Because schools are closing there is very little opportunity for our employment in Hackney. They are just losing out.”. Ms Slingsby described how her school has its “own little mini families” and complained that schools from the most deprived areas of Hackney appear to be closing.
The teacher described how the announcement that the sites may close or merge as a “death nail” with schools losing as many as 120 pupils since the news broke in October as parents try and secure alternative places for their children. She also pointed out that some children have already moved from primary schools which were closed by Hackney Council last year, but now face having to go through the same process just a year later.
Ms Slingsby, previously told the Standard that as many as 150 staff could be made redundant if the latest round of school closures go ahead . Hackney Council will meet on Monday to decide whether to close or merge six more primary schools despite four already shutting their doors permanently last summer.
