Six more primary schools in Hackney are under threat of closure or merging– despite four already shutting their doors permanently this summer.
The schools are under threat because they do not have enough pupils, which means they get less funding.
Hackney council said it is considering closing or merging the six further primary schools because “the significant fall in pupil numbers has caused the financial position of some of the borough’s schools to worsen to the point that it is no longer possible for the Council to maintain them.”
The council admitted that despite closing four other schools this summer and reducing the number of children other schools can take “many Hackney schools are still far from seeing healthy, sustainable pupil numbers.”
The Hackney schools under threat include St Mary’s Church of England Primary School and the 150 year old St Dominic’s Catholic Primary School.
A petition has been set up to save St Dominic’s and more than 275 people have signed so far. They said that the “beloved” school has served as a “safe haven, a hub of enjoyment, learning and spiritual nurture for children of many generations of Catholic, Christian and non-faith families.” The petition said the closure of the school would break apart the community.
It said: “Our school's history is entwined with the social fabric of our community, and its closure would rip apart a legacy that stretches back through countless generations.”
Many schools across London have been impacted by falling pupil numbers, including the 300-year-old Archbishop Tenison’s School in Oval, Raine's Foundation School in Tower Hamlets and Carlton Primary School in Camden, which have closed down.
The number of children needing places at primary schools across London has dropped due to a lower birth rate and families leaving London due to the housing crisis, the cost of living, Brexit, and the pandemic.
Latest figures from May this year show there were 577 unfilled reception places in Hackney – which is 21 per cent of the total. Across all year groups the figure was 4,808 – 23 per cent.
Schools receive money from the government based on the number of pupils. This means that schools with a high number of unfilled places have less money for staff, resources, equipment, extracurricular activities, to pay bills and to carry out maintenance work.
Hackney’s primary schools currently receive over £28.5m less funding compared to what they would be entitled to if their classrooms were full, the council said.
Antoinette Bramble, Deputy Mayor of Hackney and Cabinet Member for Education, Young People and Children’s Social Care, said the council and schools have done everything they can to manage the situation, including reducing the admission number to a half form of entry, combining age groups, undertaking staff restructures and trying to supplement the schools’ budgets. But this has not solved the problem.
Cllr Bramble said: “While our schools are recognised for their high performance and excellent results, they face significant challenges due to the reduced government funding caused by the falling rolls. Many schools have already told us that this is affecting their ability to fully support their pupils, especially those with the greatest needs.
“We know that our schools have very close ties to the local area and communities, sometimes over many generations. This makes these proposals very difficult, and not something we would choose if we felt there was a better option.
Among the proposals to be considered are closure of St Mary’s Church of England Primary School and St Dominic’s Catholic Primary School, and either the closure of Sir Thomas Abney Primary School or a merger with nearby Holmleigh Primary School.
There are also proposals to merge Oldhill Primary School with Harrington Hill Primary School, or to close Oldhill.
Cllr Bramble said: “We are proud of our children and young people and their families, schools and community partners. Hackney schools are some of the best in the country, and offer a range of extra-curricular activities to support families in and outside of school.
“The problem of falling rolls affects not just Hackney, but all of London, with a massive impact on schools’ finances, and, as a result, on their ability to continue to offer a quality education for all children.
“It is incredibly difficult to have to consider once again potential closures or mergers of some of the schools most impacted by the falling rolls, despite their great performance. But it is our role as a Council to do everything we can to make sure our schools are fit for the future, and to protect the high quality education for which Hackney is known.
“I want to thank all our schools and our partners for their often challenging work, and for their dedication and support that they continue to show to their children and communities despite the enormous pressures they face. We know that only by working together can we find the best long term solutions that will allow us to build a stronger family of schools that can respond to some of the biggest challenges of our times.”
It comes after the Education Policy Institute said the number of pupils at London primary schools is falling twice as quickly as the national average as parents are forced out of the capital by spiraling costs.
There is expected to be another drop of around 52,000 primary school-aged childrenin the city by 2028, according to the organisation.
Children in the city get the best exam results in the country, but schools could be forced to make cuts such as narrowing the curriculum or slashing the number of teachers and teaching assistants.
London Councils has previously warned that institutions are facing “extremely difficult decisions” as they grapple with the impact of the drop in the birth rate.
