Private firm Cambridge Education Authority loses contract to run Islington schools

Published: 17th December, 2010
by TOM FOOT

THE private company running Islington schools is too expensive and will be axed, with services coming back in-house, according to the Town Hall’s education chief.

Labour councillor Richard Watts says “cash savings” will be made by ending the contract with Cambridge Education Authority (CEA).

CEA has run Islington Council’s education service for 10 years.

Cllr Watts said: “Islington schools have improved immeasurably since then – that is in part thanks to the success of CEA and also huge increases in funding to schools from the previous government. But we now believe we can competently provide the service.

“We want to bring elements back in-house – particularly strategic functions like admissions, exclusions and data. But I expect in the future Islington schools will continue to have a relationship with Cambridge and companies like it.”

CEA was introduced in 2000 at a time when Islington pupils’ exam results were at an all-time low. Ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair famously refused to send his children to the then Islington Green School.

CEA is credited with improving results and making some savings. But Cllr Watts said he now felt the firm was not best placed to manage education for the local authority.

Conservative education reforms mean Islington schools will in future have greater control of their budgets and be able to buy services from the council and private companies.

“As the government makes schools responsible for commissioning most of their improvement work themselves, I think more boroughs will probably end up looking like Islington,” Cllr Watts said