Hackney and Islington schools take fight against closures to Parliament

Teachers and pupils are joined by the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at Parliament Square. Photograph: Carly Slingsby / free for use by LDRS partners

Hackney primary pupils and staff railing against looming school closures have taken their fight to Westminster in the hope they can halt the council’s decision.

St Dominic’s Catholic Primary, joined by two other primaries from Islington in similar circumstances, skipped school last Thursday to march from Charing Cross to Parliament Square and “make some noise” in a bid to save their “well-loved, nurturing schools”.

Together, children and teachers chanted: “Keir Starmer, we’re no fools – you rob from the old and steal from the schools!”

The Homerton faith school is one of six in the borough facing a shutdown or ‘merger’ with other schools due to falling pupil rolls – fewer children on the register – and mounting deficits.

But Year 3 teacher Carly Slingsby, who has taught at St Dominic’s for a decade, says smaller classes have led to the “best couple of years” at the school.

Stood by a statue of suffragist Millicent Fawcett, she told the crowd: “We’ve got an average of 20 children per class. That is a perfect number to teach. If it’s good enough for [private school] kids, it’s good enough for us.”

Hackney Council has insisted it has little option but to pursue the “difficult” plans to close schools because falling rolls have resulted in reduced government funding – leaving these schools financially unsustainable.

“We haven’t been able to stop fewer children needing school places, and that is the challenge,” education chief Anntoinette Bramble has said.

Islington has also highlighted the “long-term sustainability challenges” of keeping primary schools open due to declining pupil numbers.

But the issue is affecting boroughs across the capital, prompting staff from several primaries to launch strike action – backed by the National Education Union (NEU) – in recent weeks.

Phoebe Oakley, who teaches Year 5 at Islington’s Highbury Quadrant school, said the march to Parliament Square was a “nice way to end” six days of walkouts.

“A couple of children spoke at the protest – it was really sweet. There were some Year 6 children who were amazing.”

The protest marked the 15th day of industrial action from St Dominic’s staff.

The groups were joined by Islington MP Jeremy Corbyn, who has given his support to Highbury Quadrant and St Jude and St Paul’s, both earmarked for closure by their local council for similar reasons.

The final public engagement period over Hackney Council’s plans ended on 5 March.

Islington’s consultation is set to close on 27 March.