Hackney Council: Stop closing all our schools!

Staff at St. Dominic's primary school in Hackney, North-East London are on strike to try and stop the school being closed by an increasingly out of touch and callous "Labour" council.

The community school is 150 years old and a crucial part of the working-class community it represents. It is one of four primary schools earmarked for close or "merge", along with Sir Thomas Abney, Oldhill Community School and St. Mary's C of E Primary School, following hot on the heels of four more closures last year.

This is a disgraceful approach to dealing with falling rolls, a housing crisis and the chronic underfunding of our schools. Children with special needs will be worst hit. On top of this are threatened cuts to youth services, all of which could blight the life chances of a generation.

Now staff, parents and children are demanding:

1) A genuine and wide ranging consultation, across council departments, communities & trade unions to determine long term joined-up strategy looking at the causes of the schools crisis including the housing crisis, education underfunding and to address youth provision in the borough

2). A thorough review of SEND provision to investigate the possibilities for further developing inclusion and in-borough provision including SEND Hubs in schools.

3)Before making any decision on closures/mergers, await the passing of the new Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill, which will give new freedoms to local authorities to open new schools.

4)Lobby the new Labour government to address this crisis and fund our schools

5)Where there is a broad agreement or potential for mergers, the councils must ensure that these are genuine and not just one school shutting and being lost to the community.

Sign the petition by scanning the QR code at the end of the video, or go to https://chng.it/wf2srVfbpG - and join the campaign at their Facebook group: Hackney Families Save Our School.