“Hackney has transformed its education through dedication and ambition, evolving from one of the nation's lowest-performing boroughs into a recognised leader. We recognise however that our borough has changed over past few years, with fewer children attending our schools, the funding challenges that brings, to the rising complexity of need for some of the children that do.
This plan emphasises collaboration with families, schools, settings, and partners to develop sustainable strategies and optimise resources. We aim to foster a child-centered, anti-racist, inclusive, and high-achieving educational model that earns community trust and enables all children to thrive.”
Cllr Antoinnette Bramble, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Young People
The development of our strategic plan
The success story of schools and education settings in Hackney is well known. Having been one of the lowest performing boroughs, to now being one of the best. However, maintaining the high-quality education our schools and settings provide faces challenges.
Developed with input from schools, families, and partners, the three-year strategic plan outlines Hackney's education strategy. It emphasises collaborative efforts to build a sustainable, ambitious, and inclusive education system. Despite significant improvements, maintaining the high-quality education our schools and settings provide does not come without challenges. These include:
- A drastic fall in the number of children, with some communities particularly affected
- A significant increase in the number of pupils with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
- High numbers of exclusions of secondary school pupils
- Increasing number of schools and settings facing financial challenges
- Difficulty in finding and retaining qualified staff
About the draft plan
Hackney’s draft strategic plan sets out the vision, commitments and priorities to inform our approach to education in Hackney. It focuses on:
- supporting all children and their families as well as their schools and settings
- working together and harnessing the incredible talent we have in our schools and settings
- continuing to build a sustainable education system that is both ambitious and inclusive for all
Our vision
Our vision is to improve the life chances and wellbeing of every child and young person in Hackney across all communities. Our education offer must be ambitious, anti-racist and inclusive. It will encourage individuality, whilst creating a sense of belonging and wellbeing.
We will achieve this by working together with parents, carers, partners and across the entire family of schools and settings, including academies, early years, and independent providers, to sustain and evolve a high quality education offer that ensures success, excellence, equity and inclusivity for all.
The core elements of our vision are to:
- Provide the best possible support for our schools and settings, our children, young people and families
- Encourage and challenge all Hackney schools and settings, individually and collectively, to develop and sustain exceptional education for all our children and young people
- Promote equity and belonging for all of our children and young people and collaboration and partnerships with all of our schools and settings
- Champion the safety, wellbeing and belonging of all our Hackney children and young people
- Promote our values in all aspects of our work
Our commitments
Two commitments underpin all of our priorities and objectives:
Our commitment to being anti-racist: We are committed to eradicating systemic racism, discrimination, injustice, and making anti-racism a foundation of our practice. We will be a voice and force for change, across our education system and with wider system partners, to recognise and address the impact of racism on children and families within our community. We will apply our anti-racist principles in all of our interactions and decision-making about children and ask the same of our partners.
Our commitment to working in partnership with children and their parents and carers: We are committed to listening to parents and carers and adjusting our approach to the shared aim of improving the lives of all our children and young people. We will work with our schools and settings to ensure that all children and families have the opportunities to be heard, to share their experiences and suggest best ways to support them, with a particular focus on families that may need more support to thrive.
Our priorities
The plan identifies five key priorities for 2025-2028:
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and inclusion: Ensuring efficient and sustainable SEND provision, early identification of needs, and timely support.
- Additional and Alternative Learning Provision: Developing a three-tiered support model to promote inclusion, reduce exclusions, and ensure appropriate interventions.
- Strength and sustainability: Ensuring schools, children's centers, and settings are strong, sustainable, and financially viable, with a focus on recruitment and retention of staff.
- Sustainable school improvement: Delivering a successful, affordable, and sustainable local education system by promoting collaboration, sharing best practices, and supporting innovation.
- Equity for children and families: Working to achieve the best outcomes for all children, particularly focusing on ensuring equitable opportunities and targeted support for those who need it most to thrive.
Timelines and consultation
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Autumn 2024 | A draft vision and refined key priorities were presented to the primary consultative group, secondary/special heads and governors in November for feedback |
| Spring 2025 | Engagement with a wide range of stakeholder groups on draft priorities and vision |
| Summer 2025 | Consultation on the draft Strategic Plan |
| Autumn 2025 | Strategic Plan to be presented to the Hackney Cabinet on 15 December 2025 for approval. This will be followed by publication of the final plan. |
We continue to listen and seek your input in developing the strategic plan. A consultation will be held between 7 July and 22 September 2025.
We welcome feedback on the vision, commitments and priorities that we have developed. In particular:
- Do you feel they reflect the needs of Hackney?
- Have we missed any key elements?
- What actions are needed to achieve the aims and ambitions of the strategic plan?
During the consultation period, we will hold in-person and online information sessions. These are an opportunity for us to share proposals and for attendees to ask questions.
For more information about the information sessions, visit the Hackney Consultation Hub.
Responding to the consultation
We must receive all responses by 5pm on Monday 22 September. You can respond in the following ways:
- Using the online questionnaire
- By email to hackneyeducationstrategicplan@hackney.gov.uk
- By post using the provided freepost envelope or send to:
Hackney Education, Strategy and Governance Team FREEPOST RUHJ–YJHS–UYCR - Hand your response to reception at the Hackney Service Centre, 1 Hillman Street, London E8 1DY
What happens next
The views and feedback shared will help to shape the plan and the delivery of education in Hackney over the next three years. The strategic plan will be presented to the Hackney Cabinet for approval and we expect to publish the final plan by the end of 2025.
Hackney Education and its stakeholders recognise the need to act now, whilst developing a longer term strategy which will follow the completion of this plan.