Firm fined for missing exam result targets

A private company charged with rescuing education in Islington has been fined for failing to meet exam result targets.

CEA@Islington, which runs school services, admitted it had lost half its management fee for missing six out of 11 key goals.

Although results achieved by 11-and 14-year-olds improved, they failed to rise enough to prevent it losing money under the penalty clauses of its 10-year contract.

Further improvements will depend upon ensuring primary school children make major strides in literacy and numeracy; if not, CEA can expect to lose more money, on top of the ?471,563 withheld from this year's management fee of ?931,190.

Bill Clark, director of schools' services, said: "The so-called contract penalty CEA@Islington announced this week should not mask how far they have come over the past four years."