A row has broken out over a survey which claims many Haringey schools are performing worse than their neighbours in similar inner city boroughs especially in maths.

Tories have seized on the figures, saying they prove poor test results cannot be blamed on social problems in the borough.

But the Labour Council says the survey, based on last years national curriculum tests for seven, 11 and 14-year-olds, does not take into account year-on-year improvements schools are making.

And teaching unions say the format of the survey is seriously flawed and has thrown up highly misleading results.

The survey banded councils in groups of neighbours, each group showing similar social and economic traits.

Haringeys nearest soulmates are given as eleven inner London boroughs including Lewisham, Islington, Camden, Lambeth and Westminster. But the survey found that at all ages Haringeys pupils attainment in mathematics was worse than the average of its inner city neighbours.

At age seven Haringey came joint last in maths, at age 11 only Lambeth was worse, and at age 14 it came in third last after Southwark and Islington.

The survey was discussed at a meeting of the councils School Effectiveness and Standards Sub-committee.

Tory group leader Cllr Peter Forrest said: The council still hangs on to the idea that poor school results can be explained by social deprivation. Now these figures show that argument to be absolute bunkum. I dont think they've grasped the enormity of the problem. The only reason for the results is poor teaching.

But Tony Brockmam, secretary of the National Union of Teachers in Haringey, rejected the accusation and said the survey was misleading.

He said: This was a national survey and it has lumped together several boroughs which have many different social backgrounds.

He said he found it odd that boroughs like Hackney and Tower Hamlets were not included in the figures, while comparatively well-off areas like Westminster and Ealing were.

A spokesman for Haringey Council agreed. We certainly are at variance with the way the survey was set up. The most important statistic to look at is how fast schools are improving.

He pointed out that Haringey showed the fourth largest improvement in GCSEs 11.5 per cent in England and Wales last year. On maths he said the council will continue its Primary Numeracy Project to raise standards in schools, and is to revise its secondary school maths curriculum.

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