North London primary schools are funding extra weekend lessons for children from black and black heritage families – and white pupils are excluded, furious parents claim
- The Saturday school places are for children of African-Caribbean descent
Parents have called out a North London schools scheme claiming that white pupils are being excluded from extra weekend literacy classes.
At one primary school in Haringey parents were reportedly told that schools will help fund the Saturday school places for children of African-Caribbean descent to help ‘accelerate progress in reading and writing whilst also developing the children’s knowledge of black history and culture’.
No offer, however, was reportedly made for those from other ethnic backgrounds to help further educational support despite parents arguing that white working-class boys had fallen behind their peers the most.
Schools across Haringey and Enfield borough are able to enroll their pupils for classes at the Nia Academy – established by the not-for-profit organisation Haringey Education Partnership (HEP).
It aims to help children between year four and year seven with their studies and hopes to ‘provide students with an opportunity to learn about black history from a broader perspective than what is often offered in mainstream education’.
Parents have called out a North London schools scheme claiming that white pupils are being excluded from extra weekend literacy classes (file photo of primary school class)
One parent from Coldfall Primary School in Musewell Hill (pictured) said that children ‘no matter the colour of their skin’ should receive further help
Students will also be ‘exposed to a range of Black fiction and non-fiction authors with a particular focus on the Black experience’ to ‘show representations of diverse cultures and communities’.
One parent with a child at Coldfall Primary School in Musewell Hill told the Telegraph after seeing the academy advertised by the school that all children ‘no matter the colour of their skin’ should receive further help.
She said: ‘Why should black and black heritage children get extra support in reading and writing when it is obvious to anyone with access to the internet that it is white boys who are doing worst academically and are being left behind and this has been going on for many years?
‘Here’s an idea. Why not use these resources to help any child, no matter the colour of their skin, who needs help.’
In 2021, a report made by the Education Committee found that white working-class pupils had been let down, showing that those white British pupils eligible for free school meals persistently underperform when compared with peers in other ethnic groups.
Figures from the Department of Education showed that 18 per cent of white British pupils on free meals achieved a grade 5 in English and maths compared with 23 per cent for the average pupil on free meals.
Furthermore, only 16 per cent of white British pupils on the free meal scheme got places at university in 2019, compared with 59 per cent of black African pupils on free meals, 59 per cent of Bangladeshi pupils on free meals and 32 per cent of black Caribbean pupils on free meals.
A report made by the Education Committee found that white working-class pupils had been underperform when compared with peers in other ethnic groups (file photo of primary school pupils in classroom)
Odetta Brooks, director of Leaps and Bounds Educational Services which works with the Nia Academy, said that they run ‘a number of programmes for all children who are underachieving’.
She added that the organisations ‘recognises that different groups of children have different needs’, giving the example that it is working on how to make LGBTQ students feel more visible.
Cllr Zena Brabazon, Haringey Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Schools & Families, told the paper: ‘It has long been recognised in Haringey that there is historic and established attainment gap between black African/black Caribbean pupils and their white British peers.
‘Our schools here in Haringey and the local authority are absolutely determined to collectively do something about those statistics. Our teaching staff go to great lengths to ensure that all children and young people, irrespective of their race or background, receive the very best education possible.’
She added: ‘The council has a number of targeted programmes for our young people to help them improve their attainment including the Nia Academy. We are open to hearing feedback from our community and consider how we improve our projects and meet the needs of all our children and young people.’
The Coldfall Primary School, the Department for Education, HEP and Haringey Council has been contacted for a statement.
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