London schools to benefit from mayoral funding

The fund is part of Johnson's plans to improve education in the capital, which also include creating a unit dedicated to finding sites for free schools.

The mayor’s proposals have been created in partnership with the Department for Education (DfE), which is deciding whether it will be able to contribute money to the London Schools Excellence Fund.

The DfE will also work with the mayor’s office and London boroughs to identify land and property owned by the Greater London Authority for free schools through the New Schools for London unit.

It hopes this will help the city meet its shortfall of around 90,000 school places that will be needed by 2016.

Munira Mirza, deputy mayor for education, said further announcements about the funding would be made in the coming months. 

“It depends on the autumn statement, but the DfE has said to us they will contribute to this subject to further discussion. The mayor will also invest some funding,” said Mirza.

“We are also in discussions with the DfE over funding for the New Schools for London unit.”

The funding will be targeted towards making progress in education priorities identified in the Mayor’s Education Inquiry, which was also published today. These include literacy, numeracy and raising standards in science, technology, engineering and maths.

Today’s plans also propose the creation of a London curriculum for lower-secondary school children, and a new accreditation for excellent schools – called the Gold Club.

“I want our youngsters to aspire to the highest echelons and be inspired to be the best they can be. That's why I will use the resources available to us to enable more free schools to be built across the capital,” Johnson said.