The Mayor of London Boris Johnson today confirmed he has found a home for one of London’s much-needed new free schools, creating an additional 400 primary school places. With central government required to provide 30,000 new places by 2016 as a result of London’s growing population, the Mayor is continuing to deliver on his promise to help alleviate this pressure, and has now created 10,000 new places since 2012. The Hackney New Primary school will move onto the site of the former Kingsland Road fire station once its purpose-built new home is ready in September 2017. While the brand new building is being constructed, the school has been set up in special temporary premises inside its parent school, Hackney New School, which is just across the road. Hackney New School is a comprehensive secondary school and has already won the OFSTED Good rating after just two years of being established. Hackney New Primary will share its parent school’s dedication to giving its pupils a top class education with initiatives including a commitment to giving every child the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and having a longer school day for children to complete their homework, a scheme that is usually only offered in private schools. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “I’m delighted that this excellent site has been secured for Hackney New Primary, just across the road from its parent school. The new free school will give 400 more pupils the opportunity to have a top-class education as well as providing much-needed school places in the local area. All young Londoners, wherever they live in our city, should have access to the highest quality education, regardless of background and I am committed to securing more sites for new schools in the capital.” Chair of Governors at Hackney New Primary School, Andreas Wesemann, said: “The Kingsland Road fire station is the ideal site for Hackney New Primary School given its close proximity to the secondary school and the local area it will serve in the future. We are excited to be able to work with our partners to design this site to accommodate the unique curricular requirements of the school, helping us to develop it as an outstanding place of learning for young children from all backgrounds.” This is the 14th site the Mayor has made available for free schools, and is part of his 2012 manifesto promise to use public assets to secure sites for ten free schools. Free schools are playing a central role in the provision of much-needed school places across the capital as well as helping to raise London’s education standards. London already has the highest number of free schools in the country – 107 out of a national total of 304. The Mayor has also secured sites for a new academy and an University Technical College (UTC). As London's population grows, there is increasing pressure on school places – places for 30,000 more are needed by 2016. The Mayor is continuing his work with the Department for Education, the London Legacy Development Corporation and the capital's boroughs to ensure London can meet this challenge.
Notes to editors
1. To date, the Mayor has helped to secure sites for: Free schools - Abacus Belsize Primary (Camden, OFSTED Outstanding); Alma Primary School (Jewish, Barnet, OFSTED Good); Canary Wharf College Glenworth (Tower Hamlets); East London Arts & Music Academy (6th Form College, Tower Hamlets); Fulham Boys’ School (Hammersmith and Fulham); Harris East Dulwich Primary School (Southwark); Legatum Sports Academy (Secondary, QEII Olympic Park); The Olive School (Muslim Secondary, Hackney, OFSTED Outstanding); Oasis Academy, Silvertown (Secondary, Newham); Riverside School (Secondary, Barking); 3 sites where the provider is not yet selected (2 in Southwark and one in Tower Hamlets); UTC – Mulberry (Tower Hamlets); Academy – Mossbourne Primary Academy (Newham). 2. The Mayor launched the Education Inquiry in November 2011, as an independent investigation into the successes and challenges for London schools. The inquiry consulted widely to build a comprehensive analysis of education in the capital, as well as making a number of recommendations to promote excellent teaching in all London schools; prepare young Londoners for life and work; and ensure every London child can be given a good school place. As well as securing sites for new free schools, the Mayor is overseeing a wide range of improvements in London's schools including investing in the £24 million London Schools Excellence Fund, as well as the Gold Club, which both aim to raise standards in teaching and subject knowledge. www.london.gov.uk/education 3. Another outcome was to establish the London Schools Atlas, an innovative online resource, which provides a range of data about schools across the capital, including projections and results. www.london.gov.uk/london-schools-atlas. 4. Transforming the former Kingsland Road fire station into a new free school is part of the Mayor’s determination to ensure the sale of fire stations delivers both value to taxpayers and to the communities in which these public assets are situated. Sales of former fire stations are also raising significant sums and enabling a multi-million pound modernisation programme to ensure London’s fire service and its staff are equipped with the very best kit to respond to the challenges of a growing 21st century city.