Randal Cremer head calls closure plans a “terminal diagnosis”

(Image Credit: Jo Riley)

Randal Cremer Primary’s headteacher has said Hackney Council’s proposal for closure is like being given a “terminal diagnosis”.

Her school is one of two in the borough being proposed for complete closure, whilst others are being proposed to merge. This is part of the council’s wider plans to tackle rapidly declining pupil numbers across the borough.

Since the council announced its provisional plan in March, over 100 children have transferred to other schools, according to Ms Riley.

“Once the announcement’s made in December, we might have another flood of people children disappearing,” Ms Riley said.

“It's more like being given a terminal diagnosis, that every week when a few more children go, it’s another symptom.”

The council has described Randal Cremer to be under “serious and irreversible” financial pressure, with a 36 per cent increase in unfilled places in the last eight years.

Smaller class sizes reduce the amount of money schools receive from the government, prompting constant “restructures to make the budget match”.

Even if the school remained open, Ms Riley says it would need “such a major restructure that we’d no longer be the school that they know and love”.

“My school is very proud to have an intake of children that aren't the middle classes, that is the hard-working poor”.

“We’ve got to try and celebrate the legacy of Randal Cremer to make sure that it doesn’t just disappear”.

A final decision on the closure will be made by the council in December.