Agenda item - Haringey Education Strategy

Report of the Corporate Director of Children's Services (Statutory DCS). To be presented by the Cabinet Member for Children, Schools & Families

DECLARATIONS OF ITEREST MADE FOR ITEM:

None

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

Approved the implementation of Haringey’s Education Strategy 2025–2028, which applies to all children and young people aged 0–19 in the borough, with effect from September 2025.
Noted the following supporting materials:
1. Details of the planned media and communications campaign at Appendix 3 to promote the Strategy, aligned with its official launch at the start of the 2025/26 academic year.

Reasons for decision

Context and rationale

The Education Strategy 2025–2028, presented at Appendix 1, sets out Haringey’s strategic vision for education across eight key priority areas. It is intended to be read alongside the Haringey SEND strategy 2022-2025 and the Early Years Strategy ensuring alignment across all stages of a child’s educational journey.

The Strategy is underpinned by the values and ambitions of the Haringey Deal, placing children and young people at the centre of its vision. It aims to deliver inclusive and equitable outcomes for all, through strong partnerships with educational settings, families, and community stakeholders.

A key focus of the Strategy is addressing persistent educational inequalities. It acknowledges the need to improve outcomes for groups such as Black Caribbean pupils—who are also disproportionately represented in suspensions and exclusions—and Turkish/Kurdish pupils, who face early educational challenges but make strong progress at secondary level. These insights are informed by robust data analysis, including suspension and exclusion trends, which guide targeted interventions and resource allocation.

The Strategy also embraces innovation, recognising the growing role of digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in education. It calls for the development of a borough-wide digital strategy to support learning across school, home, and community settings. Drawing on evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and other research, the Strategy highlights how AI and digital tools—when used effectively—can enhance teaching and learning outcomes.

There is an unequivocal focus on inclusion in the strategy. We want to ensure that every child and young person in the borough has the opportunity to engage positively with their education and secure the qualifications they need to transition successfully to adult life.

The Strategy further recognises the financial pressures facing schools and the importance of schools working to form partnerships and secure sustainability through joint working.

In light of the above, Cabinet is recommended to approve the implementation and launch of the Education Strategy 2025–2028. The Strategy positions education as a transformative force—central to safeguarding, reducing inequality, improving health outcomes, and expanding life opportunities. It promotes a continuous, supportive educational journey from birth to adulthood.

The Strategy will be launched in September 2025 through a borough-wide media and communications campaign. This will serve not only to celebrate the achievements of Haringey’s education community but also to reaffirm the Council’s commitment to sustaining and enhancing educational excellence, school estate resilience, and the overall wellbeing—physical, emotional, and mental—of its children and young people.

Alternative options considered

At the time of drafting this report, no alternative options to the proposed Haringey Education Strategy—comprising eight key priorities—have been considered. These priorities were identified and developed collaboratively with key stakeholders to reflect the borough’s specific educational context. Further details regarding the development process of the Strategy are provided in the Background Information section at paragraph 6.6 below.

While other local authorities across London and England have produced their own education strategies—each with varying structures and thematic priorities—Haringey’s Strategy is tailored to address the unique strengths and challenges of the borough’s education system.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families introduced the report.

It was explained that Haringey’s Education Strategy was the roadmap to ensuring every child and young person in our borough had the opportunity to belong and thrive. It was explained that the strategic vision included eight key priorities which would form the basis of the Education Strategy:

Ensuring that every child and young person had a pathway for their future and their success and all that entails.
Ensuring that key transition points in a child’s education were well defined and support their needs.
Ensuring that the views and thoughts of children, young people, and their families were captured and inform the strategy and work in the Council’s settings.
Ensuring strong leadership at every level to maintain and improve the excellent educational opportunities in Haringey.
Exploring collaboration and sustainability opportunities fully, creating resilience in smaller schools.
Ensuring that school communities were green.
To support children and young people to ensure their resilience and well-being, including their physical, emotional, and mental health.
To implement a digital learning strategy across Haringey that supports learning whether at school, at home, or in their local communities.

It was explained that the strategy should be read in conjunction with the SEND Strategy 2022-2025, our Early Years Strategy and our borough vision Haringey 2035. It was stressed that there was much work to do, but that this was an opportunity to deliver for the children and young people of Haringey.

In response to comments and questions from Councillors Hakata and Emery, the following information was shared:

It was explained that the Education Strategy Board was developed to oversee the development of the Strategy; and looked to ensure the strategy, rather than looking day to day management of schools, was developed to oversee the strategic direction of the strategy.
It was noted that historic underachievement for certain groups was a longstanding issue,and stressed that the Council had undertaken work to address this attainment. It was noted that 98% of schools in the borough were rated good or outstanding. It was noted that the Council had additionally put support where it was required improve outcomes for more left behind groups.
It was explained by officers that the service was developing an action plan to ensure that targets for improvement were met.
It was highlighted that a lot of early identification work for specialist needs was being undertaken in nurseries and early school life. It was noted that there was an aim for an inclusive and supportive approach in early years.
It was stressed that the Council worked with the Iintegrated Care Boards to improve Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services waiting times wherever possible.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

Approved the implementation of Haringey’s Education Strategy 2025–2028, which applies to all children and young people aged 0–19 in the borough, with effect from September 2025.
Noted the following supporting materials:
1. Details of the planned media and communications campaign at Appendix 3 to promote the Strategy, aligned with its official launch at the start of the 2025/26 academic year.

Reasons for decision

Context and rationale

The Education Strategy 2025–2028, presented at Appendix 1, sets out Haringey’s strategic vision for education across eight key priority areas. It is intended to be read alongside the Haringey SEND strategy 2022-2025 and the Early Years Strategy ensuring alignment across all stages of a child’s educational journey.

The Strategy is underpinned by the values and ambitions of the Haringey Deal, placing children and young people at the centre of its vision. It aims to deliver inclusive and equitable outcomes for all, through strong partnerships with educational settings, families, and community stakeholders.

A key focus of the Strategy is addressing persistent educational inequalities. It acknowledges the need to improve outcomes for groups such as Black Caribbean pupils—who are also disproportionately represented in suspensions and exclusions—and Turkish/Kurdish pupils, who face early educational challenges but make strong progress at secondary level. These insights are informed by robust data analysis, including suspension and exclusion trends, which guide targeted interventions and resource allocation.

The Strategy also embraces innovation, recognising the growing role of digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in education. It calls for the development of a borough-wide digital strategy to support learning across school, home, and community settings. Drawing on evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and other research, the Strategy highlights how AI and digital tools—when used effectively—can enhance teaching and learning outcomes.

There is an unequivocal focus on inclusion in the strategy. We want to ensure that every child and young person in the borough has the opportunity to engage positively with their education and secure the qualifications they need to transition successfully to adult life.

The Strategy further recognises the financial pressures facing schools and the importance of schools working to form partnerships and secure sustainability through joint working.

In light of the above, Cabinet is recommended to approve the implementation and launch of the Education Strategy 2025–2028. The Strategy positions education as a transformative force—central to safeguarding, reducing inequality, improving health outcomes, and expanding life opportunities. It promotes a continuous, supportive educational journey from birth to adulthood.

The Strategy will be launched in September 2025 through a borough-wide media and communications campaign. This will serve not only to celebrate the achievements of Haringey’s education community but also to reaffirm the Council’s commitment to sustaining and enhancing educational excellence, school estate resilience, and the overall wellbeing—physical, emotional, and mental—of its children and young people.

Alternative options considered

At the time of drafting this report, no alternative options to the proposed Haringey Education Strategy—comprising eight key priorities—have been considered. These priorities were identified and developed collaboratively with key stakeholders to reflect the borough’s specific educational context. Further details regarding the development process of the Strategy are provided in the Background Information section at paragraph 6.6.

While other local authorities across London and England have produced their own education strategies—each with varying structures and thematic priorities—Haringey’s Strategy is tailored to address the unique strengths and challenges of the borough’s education system.