Islington: Parent anger at closure of Montem Primary School

Sousan Aljabory, all three of whose grandchildren have attended Montem Primary School, branded Islington Council’s decision to shut it “insulting”.

All students at the school in Hornsey Road have been guaranteed a place at Duncombe Primary School, a 15-minute walk away.

Islington Council’s executive approved the merger, which will come into effect on August 31, last week.

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The authority says that the plans are necessary due to a falling birth rate and people moving out of the borough.

For every unused pupil place in Islington, the council says the school will miss out on an average of £5,500 a year. More than a third of places at Montem are currently unfilled.

Parents protested against plans to close Montem Primary School outside Islington Town Hall in February

Sousan, who was born in Iraq, said that many parents were left in tears by the council’s decision.

She said: “I had to go out of my country because of war. When I came here this was my home.

“Believe me, I appreciate everything that’s been done for us. But when they take the school away from me, it’s really like they took everything from us once again.

“They messed up our lives and they messed up our children’s lives.”

The 74-year-old said that her eight-year-old grandson, who is a SEN pupil at Montem, would now be forced to go to a school “far away” as they do not want him to go to Duncombe.

Sousan said: “My grandson is crying and saying – I don’t want to be away from my school, I don’t want to be away from my friends and my teacher.

“Tell the council – I have been around the world but I have never seen such an insulting decision.”

Toni Alexander, a mum who has an autistic 11-year-old at the school, said that parents of SEN students had been left “between a rock and a hard place” over fears these pupils would not get the same level of support at another school.

Toni Alexander has an 11-year-old at the school (Image: Alex Marsh)

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She added: “I think the whole thing was a façade, I don’t think we had an option in the first place. It’s honestly made me question the whole consultation process.

“If any complications come up for the council, like a protest, they just bypass it. You realise you’re the little guy and there’s nothing you can do.”

An Islington Council spokesperson said: “We spoke to hundreds of parents and staff as part of our consultation on plans to merge Montem and Duncombe Primary Schools.

“This included holding sessions to talk through the proposals and what it will mean for pupils, as well as receiving more than 700 responses to our online consultation, following the legally required routes of consultation and prescribed Department for Education process to ensure transparency at all times”.

They added: “We will take the best elements of both schools and will continue to safeguard the strong SEND provision currently on offer at Montem.”