The service at Philip House is due to close next summer, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter
A parent has made a last-ditch appeal to save a “brilliant” education facility for post-16 students in Haringey.
Philip House in South Tottenham provides specialised provision for students with education, health, and care plans (EHCPs) and recently celebrated a set of “remarkable” A-Level results.
Lucy Jeal, whose daughter Aiden started her studies at Sussex University this autumn after graduating from Philip House over the summer, believes her daughter wouldn’t have gone to university if it “wasn’t for Philip House”.
Following Haringey Council’s decision to end the specialised post-16 provision from Haringey Learning Partnership (HLP) at Philip House in July, parents banded together to oppose the move and, in response, the council agreed to extend the provision until the summer of 2025.
Lucy said: “I’d hoped the additional year was keeping the foot in the door and maybe they’d start some new people but I don’t think any new A-level students are there, so in summer 2025 it’ll close.”
Cabinet member for children, schools, and families, Zena Brabazon, said the provision was “initially commissioned on a temporary basis” back in 2022, and there were “various services across the borough” designed to meet the “diverse needs” of young people.
Cllr Brabazon added the move meant HLP could “revert” to being an 11-16 referral unit, “capitalising on their core work and strengths”.
HLP also provides alternative education schooling for GCSE-aged students.
Lucy said alternative organisations for post-16 students had been suggested such as UK Outreach but it did not “work as well” as Philip House’s “small group setting” and did not have its “community aspect”.
She said: “It’s a shame because it was so perfect for my daughter and it’s not going to exist anymore and I don’t see an equivalent option in the private sector for example.
“Aiden wouldn’t have gone to university if it wasn’t for Philip House, she got three A-levels, with good enough grades to get on this course. She’s doing liberal arts at Sussex, in humanities, science and arts.”
In response to the upcoming closure Aiden said Philip House enabled her to “bridge the gap between living at home and university”.
She said: “The style of self-study and personal management that it inspired is why the university structure doesn’t baffle me.
“I learnt to be motivated in my own work flow and take advantage of great tutors to get the most out of A-levels. I have carried this forward into university.”
She said the care and “personalised support” from Donna Lockett, deputy headteacher for HLP and lead staff member at Philip House, along with the other tutors, would always stay with her.
Aiden said: “I still think those years were the best years I’d had in education till that point.”
Lucy worries that for some parents whose children are still in the middle of sitting their A-Levels at Philip House, the extra year helps but might not be enough.
She described how a fellow parent would potentially have to “fight” the closure “again” as their son was sitting a three-year course and “and might need a year after this one”.
Lucy said: “I think the council is a brick wall, they’re just not willing to continue it.”
In response Cllr Brabazon said: “Every child deserves the very best education, and we are committed to making this happen.
“The Haringey Learning Partnership at Phillip House was initially commissioned on a temporary basis to support a small number of post-16 students in 2022 who required assistance to complete their exams, including home tuition in some cases.
“In addition to HLP, there are various services across the borough designed to meet the diverse needs of our young people.
“We have seen first-hand the positive impact HLP has had on our students, and we are dedicated to building on this success.
“Our goal is to expand and embed these vital educational pathways across all educational settings in the borough. By doing so, we aim to ensure that every young person has access to educational and vocational opportunities that cater to their unique needs as they transition into adulthood.
“It also means the HLP can revert to being a 11-16 referral unit for alternative provision, capitalising on their core work and strengths.”
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