The coalition government has announced it will be reviewing Haringey’s unfair school funding in the spring, after years of campaigning by local Liberal Democrats. Lynne Featherstone MP received the encouraging news in a recent response from the education minister Michael Gove, after writing to him about Haringey’s unfair funding.
In the letter, the Minister recognises Haringey’s special school funding case, where local pupils get up to £1,300 less than students in neighbouring boroughs, like Hackney and Camden. He has also confirmed that Haringey’s unique circumstances will be considered as part of a review to make the national school funding formula fairer and more transparent, due to be launched in the spring.
Since 2006, Lynne Featherstone MP has spearheaded the campaign to address the funding shortfall resulting from local teachers getting ‘inner London’ wages, but schools getting ‘outer London’ funding.
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“This is a real step forward for Haringey’s children, and for fair funding for our schools. I’ll be campaigning all out to make sure local people respond to the consultation later on in the spring.
“Labour kept depriving our children of fair school funding. But thanks to the Liberal Democrats in Government, Haringey’s special case has at last been recognised.”
Local Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Councillor Rachel Allison adds:
“The coalition understands the importance of extra funding for the poorest children, with local schools getting an extra £4.5 million in pupil premium.
“Changing Labour’s unfair funding formula is the next step in getting fair education for Haringey’s children.”
Tag Archives: haringey-schools
Extra funding for Haringey’s children – Lynne Featherstone MP
Haringey’s schools are set to receive an extra £4.5million after the Liberal Democrats announced major investment for schools in Haringey through the Pupil Premium this week.
In its first year, the programme will target £625m extra funding to the poorest children in school, with this figure rising to £2.5bn each year, by the end of this Parliament.
In year one, every school is guaranteed an extra £430 from the Government for every child on free school meals and every looked-after child.
Commenting, Lynne Featherstone MP for Hornsey and Wood Green said:
“The pupil premium provides more money for disadvantaged children and means a better deal for Haringey schools.”
“By helping some of the most disadvantaged children, we can help whole school classes work together better and move forward faster. This is great news for children, parents and teachers alike.”
Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Cllr Rachel Allison adds:
“The premium gives Headteachers in Haringey the freedom to use the money how they want, in the ways they know work – not how politicians in Whitehall tell them to.”
“Enabling children from disadvantaged backgrounds to have the best possible start in life was a key pledge of the Liberal Democrats going into the last general election. The pupil premium delivers on this pledge – by providing schools with £430 for every disadvantaged child on top of existing pupil funding.”
Lynne Featherstone kick-starts special summer celebration at Woodside High
To celebrate the summer and a day full of fun for the students at Woodside High, Haringey’s special sustainability school, Lynne Featherstone MP on Friday opened their summer fete.
The Liberal Democrat MP also got to do a special stint on the school’s very own TV channel, Woodside TV. The Hornsey and Wood Green MP got quizzed on issues around sustainability, business and enterprise by some of the school’s very own sustainability and business experts.
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“What a fete! This is surely the way to celebrate summer and a year’s hard work, by strolling around the stalls, getting a head massage, learning some new dance moves or enjoying some tasty food.
“And judging from the gruelling questions for my interview on Woodside TV – the students have been working really hard this year, winning dragons den competitions, aiming to become an eco school, and learning a lot about sustainability and enterprise in the process. So a great celebration is certainly in order!”
Local MP kick-starts new term by visiting her old school
On her first local visit after being re-elected MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, Lynne Featherstone on Friday went to visit her old school, Highgate Primary, to help the children write a special school magazine with stories from old and new students.
The year six students from the North Hill school asked the Liberal Democrat MP about what was different when she was a student there. They also go the chance to ask the new Home Office Minister what it was like to be in Government, and what made her become an MP in the first place.
Lynne Featherstone ended the visit by attending a special assembly, where some of the younger students did their own take on the book ‘Where the Wild Things Are’.
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“What a wonderful way to kick-start a new term in office, by coming back to my old school, chatting with such incredibly bright and interested students, and reliving old memories.
“And topping off the visit by seeing the children do their own version of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ was just fantastic. Especially when I got to join in the ‘monsters munch’ dance! Such fun!”
Liberal Democrats ask local residents to join in fight for fair funding
In their ongoing fight for fair funding for Haringey’s schoolchildren, Lynne Featherstone and a team of local Liberal Democrats have launched an awareness campaign outside local schools to let local parents know what they can do to support the campaign.
The Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate was joined by Councillor Gail Engert and campaigner Jenny Bouchami outside St Mary’s school in Hornsey as they chatted with parents about how they can respond to a government consultation to help highlight the current funding situation that sees Haringey’s schools getting £1,318 less per pupils than children in Hackney.
The consultation, which is running until the 7th June 2010, looks at two funding options, one which could give Haringey’s schools an additional £10 million per year.
The Liberal Democrat team will in the next few weeks speak with parents at schools around the area to encourage as many local residents as possible to respond to the consultation.
To make the case for fairer school funding, residents need to go to http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/
The Liberal Democrats have also pledged to put in an extra £15 million into Haringey’s schools, through their so-called pupil premium to ensure smaller class sizes. The additional funds could give Haringey’s schools an extra 490 teachers.
Lynne Featherstone comments:
“This is our big chance to make the case for why our kids need and deserve more money for their schooling. This is an opportunity to give them a better education for the best possible start in life.
“Regardless of the outcome of the election – it is vital that people respond to this consultation. Of course – if the Liberal Democrats won – that would solve our ‘fair funding’ at a stroke – with their pledge of £2.5billion per year to our schools.”
Cllr Gail Engert, Liberal Democrat Schools spokesperson adds:
“It’s been great to get such a positive response when speaking to Hornsey parents here today.
“Bit by bit we are getting residents to see that they can help make a real difference. So for all you residents out there who want to do something about this injustice, grab this chance to respond and help make a fairer future for Haringey’s children.”
Liberal Democrats demand assurances on new school
Liberal Democrats have demanded clear promises from the Labour Council that Heartlands High School will be open in September after it emerged that builders have requested to move to work 24-hours a day.
Liberal Democrats are concerned that, with five months to go before the school is due to open, a move by contractors to working all night means that the project may be severely behind schedule – putting the school places of 162 children in jeopardy.
Furthermore, residents living close to the site are likely to be concerned that they will have to put up with noise throughout the night.
Cllr Gail Engert, Liberal Democrat Children and Young People spokesperson, comments:
“With five months until the school is due to open this is clearly not a last minute push to get final fittings finished. Working all day and night seems to show that this project is under severe pressure. We need clear assurances from Haringey Council now whether it will be on time, why we need 24-hour building work and to reassure parents and children starting at the school in September that it will indeed be ready and safe.
“We also need to be sure that local people will not be disturbed by the 24-hour work.”
Lynne Featherstone adds:
“It is vital for local families for this new school to be open. Labour need to come clean why 24-hour working is needed when they have been so sure it will be open in September.”
Local MP calls on residents to help in battle for fair funding
To encourage residents to respond to a new consultation on school funding that could help address the existing unfairness that sees Haringey’s children getting £1,318 less per pupil than in neighbouring inner London boroughs, Lynne Featherstone MP has written to thousands of local residents with information on how they can help.
The Hornsey and Wood Green MP, who has long campaigned for fair funding for Haringey’s children since discovering the shortfall in funding a few years back, has now contacted residents to let them know about the consultation that is running until the 7th June.
The Government is consulting on a change in the funding formula, where one option would give Haringey’s children 6.6% more funding (around £10.8 million), and one option would keep the current funding arrangements that mean Haringey schools pay ‘inner-London’ wages but get ‘outer-London’ money.
To respond to the consultation, please go to http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/. (The consultation section that specifically relates to Haringey’s unfair funding settlement, can be found under the section titled Area Cost Adjustment, question 14 in the consultation documents. Residents can choose to respond only to the ACA section if they want to. The Hybrid option would give our schools around £400 more per pupil, compared to today’s funding arrangements, whereas the General Labour Market Approach would mean similar funding levels to today.)
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“This is our opportunity to do something about the Government’s unfair funding of Haringey schools – and if we want to see more money for our children, now is the time to act.
“The funding options put forward by the Government are far from perfect – and don’t fully correct the current unfairness.
“But the ‘hybrid’ option would at least increase our funding by £10.8 million– and that’s better than no increase! So please take a minute to respond – this is our chance to make a difference for our kids’ futures.”
Local MP helps open new library at local school
To help open the new library at Hornsey School for Girls, Lynne Featherstone MP on Friday celebrated the new learning space with students, teachers and residents at the Inderwick Road School.
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“It’s great to see this fantastic new library. It’s a truly inspirational learning space – so airy, spacious and with a great range of computer and books.
“But one of the best things has really been to hear from the students about what this new library will mean to them, in terms of getting peace of mind and access to information to help them with projects, exams and to ultimately do well in life – and that really is fantastic!”
Concern at rising class size numbers in Haringey
Local Liberal Democrats have voiced their concern at new figures, revealing that Haringey, despite Labour promises, is one of only nine areas in the country where there are more pupils per class than 30 years ago.
The Times Educational Supplement figures show that average Pupil Teacher Ratios (PTRs) across England improved from 23.1 pupils per teacher in 1979 to 21.4 in 2009. However, Barking and Dagenham, Brent, Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Haringey had the same or worse PTRs now compared to 1979.
Liberal Democrats have said that larger class sizes are another indication of Haringey’s unfair school funding system, that sees local children receiving over £1,000 less than children from neighbouring boroughs.
Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, has spearheaded a campaign for fair funding for Haringey children, which has received widespread support.
Gail Engert, Liberal Democrat Children and Young People spokesperson, comments:
“Every child deserves a fair start in life. Having fewer children in a class is vital, so that each child can have more attention from the teacher, but also so the teacher can pick up any problems, early on.
“I am very concerned that, whilst most other areas have improved their pupil to teacher ratio, Haringey has failed to do this.”
Lynne Featherstone MP adds:
“Cutting class sizes is a fundamental change that would make Haringey’s schools better, but because of Labour’s failure to address the school funding crisis, we now have some of the country’s biggest class sizes and see the knock-on effect that this has on our children’s education.
“Liberal Democrats, through our Pupil Premium, are committed to cutting primary class sizes to 20, to give every child the opportunity they deserve.”
Local MP makes case for fair schools funding to Minister on eve of consultation
Ahead of the imminent launch of a new consultation about schools funding in Haringey, Lynne Featherstone MP last week put the case of our local schools getting £1,000+ less per pupil than neighbouring boroughs directly to Schools’ Minister, Vernon Coaker.
The Hornsey and Wood Green MP, accompanied by Chair of the local Schools Forum, Tony Brockman, got confirmation from Vernon Coaker MP that the funding arrangement, where Haringey schools pay Inner London wages but get Outer London funding, has resulted in one of the country’s most unfair and largest discrepancies between neighbouring boroughs.
The Minister said that it would probably come down to two options, which would be consulted on in the very near future. One of the options, based on straight labour cost, would mean virtually no change – the other option, called the ‘hybrid option’, would see the current 20% gap between Haringey and its neighbouring boroughs reduced to 6%.
Lynne Featherstone MP comments:
“On the eve of the launch of the consultation, it was important to bend the Minister’s ear and make the case for Haringey.
“Once the plans are firmly on the table, I will encourage all local residents to respond, so we can let the Government know just how strongly local people feel about this unfairness; so watch this space!”
Tony Brockman, Chair of Haringey’s Schools Forum, adds:
“Lynne set out Haringey’s case very clearly in Parliament and to the Minister. There is now likely to be an option in the Government’s consultation which would fund Haringey schools fairly. “
Lynne Featherstone 