London Mayor Boris Johnson launches schools inquiry

Tough questions need to be asked, according to London Mayor Boris Johnson

Whilst Hackney’s secondary schools failed to make the top ten in London for exam results, London Mayor Boris Johnson last week announced the launch of an inquiry to explore the critical challenges facing the capital’s primary and secondary schools.

The announcement also follows a meeting earlier this month when Chair of London Councils, Hackney’s Mayor Jules Pipe , and London’s Mayor Boris Johnson, met Education Secretary Michael Gove earlier this month to make London’s case for a bigger share of of the £500 million schools funding pot.

“I want our inquiry to ask some tough questions and help cultivate in all our schools the positive energy, discipline and ambition our children deserve,” said London Mayor Boris Johnson.

The inquiry will run for ten months with an interim report due to be published in February and a final report next autumn.

Key issues will be:

How to support schools to continue to drive up standards;

Meeting the demand for good school places;

Increasing investment in school buildings and supporting the growth of academies and free schools;

Encouraging more partnerships between state schools and independent schools, businesses and charitable or cultural organisations;

Tackling underachievement of particular ethnic groups, boys and those from disadvantaged backgrounds;

Driving school improvement and keeping class sizes to maximum of 30 pupils;

Increasing take up of key subjects such as Languages and STEM (Science, Technology and Maths) to ensure London’s workforce are skilled for the future economy;

Exploring the role of vocational education, careers support for future work;

Provision of after school clubs and supplementary education.

Boris Johnson said: “Academic excellence and social confidence should belong to all children, regardless of their background. Some schools have cracked the magic formula that brings out the best in every child, regardless of their ability and helps them reach their full potential.

“We’ve got amazing schools that push some of the most disadvantaged kids into excellent universities and professions, whilst others harvest an intake of enthusiastic kids who steadily lose momentum and ambition. I want our inquiry to ask some tough questions and help cultivate in all our schools the positive energy, discipline and ambition our children deserve.”

Michael Gove, Education Secretary, said: “Boris is right – London has many great schools but we must all do more to improve standards – especially for children from poorer homes. I know how passionate the Mayor is about making opportunity more equal.

“And I know that he wants every penny we spend on education used as efficiently as possible – devoted to great teaching. That’s why I am so enthusiastic about this review and want to work with Boris so we can ensure every school in London is as good as the best.”

A call for the inquiry comes after research showed that a third of young people involved in the August riots were excluded from school.

The news coincides with the ‘Top 2,000 Schools’ report, Parent Power, released by The Sunday Times (13 November). The report lists the best schools based on public examinations results. There were no schools from Hackney in the top ten of the state or independent secondary schools’ lists for London.