Islington school first in area to be accredited as London Living Wage employer

Islington's Samuel Rhodes School has become the first school in the borough to be accredited as a London Living Wage employer. 

While all Islington schools now pay their directly employed staff at least the London Living Wage (LLW), Samuel Rhodes is the first to be formally recognised for this by Citizens UK.  The commitment made by Samuel Rhodes means they will ensure that all their contracted staff are also paid the LLW – which is currently set by the GLA at £8.30 an hour.

Samuel Rhodes' accreditation follows that of Islington Council, which became one of the first two authorities in London to be recognised as a LLW Employer in March 2012.  Making Islington a LLW borough was among the recommendations made by the Islington Fairness Commission, which stated that no-one should do a hard day's work for less than they can live on.

Since making the commitment, the council has brought its cleaning contract in-house, so all council cleaners now receive the LLW. The council's major contracts with waste, school meals and leisure services also meet LLW criteria.

Julie Keylock, headteacher at Samuel Rhodes School, said:

"At Samuel Rhodes we believe in fairness and equality and ensure that all our pupils and their families get the best possible education and holistic support.  Being a London Living Wage employer ensures that all our staff are paid fairly for the outstanding job they do.  We are delighted to be an Islington pioneer school!"

Islington Council's executive member for children and families, Cllr Richard Watts, said:

"We want to make Islington a fairer place and that's why I'm so pleased that Samuel Rhodes has gained this accreditation from Citizens UK. Islington's schools - like the council and many other organisations in Islington that have made this commitment - are playing their part in making sure that everyone in the borough is paid a decent living wage."

The council is continuing to work with organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors in the borough to encourage them to implement the LLW.

Rhys Moore, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: "We are delighted to award the Living Wage Employer Mark to Samuel Rhodes School. We welcome the responsible leadership shown by both Samuel Rhodes and Islington Council. They join the growing number of employers who recognise the Living Wage as the gold standard."