Gove praises Hackney's social work cuts

Taken from the Evening Standard, November 12 2013 http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/michael-gove-praises-hackney-jobs-losses-and-pledges-to-shakeup-social-care-8934169.html

Michael Gove praised Hackney for cutting back a third of its social workers:

Hackney has bucked the trend, he said, with a model that “relied on holding social workers and managers to the highest professional standards: up to a third of staff have had to move on. “I am determined to spread this rigour throughout the children’s social care profession.” He added: “The London Borough of Hackney has every social – and economic – problem you could think of in modern Britain concentrated in its few square miles. “It also has some of the best - and most innovative social workers. “And they have developed an approach towards their practice which explicitly rejects the idea of their families as passive and powerless victims of circumstance or social workers as dispensers of other agencies’ services.”

Yesoday Hatorah sixth most 'exclusive' state school in England

According to research from the Daily Telegraph the Yesodey Hatorah School in Stamford Hill is one of the most exclusive state schools in the country.

The survey says that the percentage of children eligible for free school meals in the local area is above 37 per cent while only 1.6 per cent of pupils in the school claim free meals.

There's a bit more about the schools admissions here on If you tickle us... a Q&A on admissions:

http://ifyoutickleus.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/yesodey-hatorah-senior-girls-school.html

For more on the school and its headmaster Abraham Pinter: 

 http://bloodandproperty.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/yesodey%20hatorah%20school

London Fields wild flowers

This appears to have worked. The fence is down. And it smells too.

Lots of other people have taken pictures too: 

http://www.kinseysblog.co.uk/wildflowers-in-london-fields/

and 

Yeah! Hackney:

http://bit.ly/19GhYeD

Meg Vs Diane + bad broadband connectivity in Shoreditch

Meg Hillier gave a frank interview to Blood and Property back in 2010 before the election.


http://bloodandproperty.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/meg-hillier-answers-blood-and-property_22.html

In it she said: "Were the Conservatives to get in they would be bored of the word Hackney because I’d be bringing it up so often. I’d be looking endlessly at the Parliamentary end of things, looking at the detail of everything going through, every funding formula, any slight amendment or tweak that could benefit Hackney. Whether or not we could ever change it is another question but we would have to be ever vigilant."

Hackney 'superhead' suspended over contracts for boyfriend

"A superhead described by education secretary Michael Gove as “magnificent” has been suspended after it emerged that his boyfriend heads a company that provides IT services to his schools."

Or a council plot - according to the Evening Standard:
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/superhead-hailed-magnificent-by-michael-gove-suspended-after-contracts-went-to-his-boyfriends-it-firm-8736007.html

Hackney Gazette  report  from  January:
http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/concerns_over_hackney_superhead_s_five_school_academy_bid_1_1799811