Islington primary school in ‘ghost area’ to shut amid falling pupil numbers

Almost 8,000 fewer London children will need school places over the next four years

A north London primary school with less than half its places filled will officially shut this summer, according to reports.

Blessed Sacrament Catholic is the latest to be impacted by an exodus of families from London and a falling birth rate.

Just six pupils are in its reception class when there is space for 30 at the site on Boadicea Street, Islington.

As of October last year, 76 children filled 210 places, meaning 64 per cent aren’t filled.

Following a formal consultation, Islington Council’s executive made the decision that Blessed Sacrament will close on July 31.

The Islington Gazette reported councillors - faced with empty classrooms and people moving out of the borough - had no choice but to make the decision.

For every unused pupil place in Islington, the school will miss out on an average of £5,500 per year, the newspaper said.

This means that despite its Ofsted “good” rating, Blessed Sacrament’s numbers were projected to fall by a further three to six per cent a year until 2029.

During a formal consultation to the plans, Islington received five written responses, with two actively opposing the proposals, including the Diocese of Westminster.

The diocese said the school has a balanced budget and is not projecting a financial deficit in its three-year forecast.

One respondent supported the proposals, while a further two raised specific concerns about the plans regarding the long-term future of the school building and the impact on the existing Year 5 cohort.

Blessed Sacrament, like some London schools with falling pupil numbers, initially said it was moving to become an academy so it cannot be closed down.

It did not respond to a request for an update on the application.

It comes as the number of children in the capital has plummeted. Almost 8,000 fewer will need school places over the next four years according to London Councils.

Local authorities are trying to manage the drop in demand by closing schools with low pupil numbers, to ensure the remaining schools are financially viable.

Islington Council told the Standard: “We are committed to putting children first and driving educational excellence through inclusive and sustainable schools.

“We want every child, whatever their background, to have the same opportunity and ambition to reach their educational potential in a good school.

“Across London, pupil numbers are falling because of several localised factors, including falling birth rates, the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit and the lack of affordable housing, and Islington is no exception to these.

“Schools with fewer pupils get less government funding which risks their long-term future and the quality of education.

“Blessed Sacrament RC Primary School is the smallest primary school in Islington and has been significantly impacted by falling pupil numbers over several years.

“The decision to close Blessed Sacrament is part of the phased implementation of the School Organisation Plan which sets out the challenges of falling school rolls and how we will support our schools to remain financially viable.

“Our proposal to close this school is one of several measures being undertaken to help mitigate the problem of falling pupil numbers and vulnerable school budgets.

“The council is working closely with the Blessed Sacrament school community and will support parents and pupils to transition to a new school, ahead of the next school year in September 2024.

“Targeted support will be provided for children with SEND, those with Education, Health, and Care plans and all children will be supported with the admissions process.”

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