A London council that was stripped of responsibility for education has taken back control of its schools for the first time in 10 years.
Hackney became the only borough to hand control of education services to a not-for-profit private company in 2002, in an effort to improve them.
The council’s primary school results were the worst in the country, while only 31 per cent of GCSE pupils achieved five or more A* to C grades. Results improved significantly
after the Hackney Learning Trust took control of schools, and 75 per cent of pupils now achieve five
good GCSEs.
The trust’s 10-year contract ended last week and the council will now resume responsibility. Hackney mayor Jules Pipe said schools will continue to improve because the trust will become a department within the council and most of the staff will continue in their roles.
Hackney now boasts some of the most popular state schools in the country — such as Mossbourne Academy, whose former headteacher Sir Michael Wilshaw is head of the government education watchdog, Ofsted — and above-national-average primary and secondary results.
The trust’s acting chief executive, Steve Belk, said: “Hackney is now regarded as a borough with rapid improvements, sustained achievements, best practice and innovation in education.”
