Agenda item

Report under General Exception

Report of the Director of Children’s Services. To be presented by the Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families introduced the report. It was explained that there was a need to ensure that every child and young person, wherever they live in the borough, deserved an excellent education and that the Council were committed to supporting our schools to continue to deliver high-quality teaching, learning and support across Haringey. In recent years, as widely reported, Haringey, like many other London local authority (LA) areas, had been experiencing a significant decrease in pupil numbers, which caused some schools to face serious and irreversible financial and sustainability pressures. It was stressed that the critical London wide factors of lower birth rates; the cap on rent benefits; families leaving the capital as a result of the housing crisis; Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a reduction in demand for primary school places in the borough which was no fault of the Council or our schools. It was noted that school leaders and the Council were working to mitigate the risks from falling rolls where schools fall into financial deficit. Haringey officers were working with schools locally to progress a number of approaches, with a focus on preventing the escalation of risk to those in scope for potential closure or amalgamation. The approaches used included measures to reduce costs; such as restructuring school staffing levels, reducing the amount of available support staff, limiting extracurricular activity such as school trips, ‘vertical grouping’ by combining different year groups in some schools, formally reducing and capping reception and in-year classes, and for some schools the need to agree financial deficit recovery plans with the local authority.

It was explained by the Cabinet Member that data since 2012 showed an acute decline in demand for Catholic primary schools compared to non-faith schools in the borough. In 2012 the number of first place preferences for Catholic primary schools was 437. This dropped to 182 by 2024, thus 2024 demand for Catholic primary school places represented 42% of what it was in 2012. By contrast demand for non-Faith schools in Haringey in 2012 and 2024 was 2,313 and 2,142 respectively, 93% of the demand in 2012.

It was explained that the Council had a statutory duty to ensure there were sufficient high quality school places for our children, and that places were planned effectively. This financial pressure had a significant impact on schools and threatens the stability and quality of our education system. It was stressed that the Council must continue to ensure that every single child had access to an excellent education that allowed them to fulfil their potential and achieve their ambitions.

The Cabinet Member explained that there were significant concerns about the long-term sustainability in terms of the risks to the school’s financial viability and its ability to attract pupils to the school. The latter is as a result of a declining birth rate and sharp falls in demand for Faith places across Haringey. The Cabinet Member explained that they would recommend to Cabinet that the Council consults on the options set out in this report.

In response to comments and questions from Cllr Ovat, das Neves, Arkell, Cawley-Harrison, the following information was shared:

• Cabinet Members did note that it was worrying to see significant numbers of closures of schools in the borough. The Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Families explained that there was no other option available for the school except closure, due to the sustainability and unviability for the school, which was a position agreed by the Department for Education (DfE).
  
  
• Officers explained that that they supported schools in ensuring and monitoring the viability of schools in the borough. It was explained that there was a risk matrix which had been developed to monitor a wide range of measures aimed to determine school viability and risk. It was explained that, where there were causes for concern, officers would work with schools to mitigate those risks. Officers additionally noted that the recommendation relating to St Peter In Chains Catholic Infant and St Gildas Catholic Junior School comes at the end of a long process of monitoring and work to assess viability.
  
  
• Officers explained options for the potential disposal of school land and that any disposal of this land would be difficult and that any proposal would require agreement from the DfE.
  
  
• The Cabinet Member noted that pupil intake in faith schools in general had reduced in numbers significantly, with this being particularly acute in Catholic schools, due to a wide range of issues.
  
  
• It was explained by officers that the maintenance of the land and grounds following any potential closure of the school would be the responsibility of Diocese, but that officers would work with the Diocese to ensure the continued maintenance of the site.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Agreed to commence consultation on the closure of St Peter in Chains and St Gildas’ Catholic Infant and Junior Schools.
   
   

Reasons for the decision

St Peter in Chains and St Gildas’ Catholic Infant and Junior Schools were substantive two-form entry (fe) Voluntary Aided Catholic Schools. The schools were located at Oakington Way, London, N8 9EP and sat within Planning Area 2 (PA2), which incorporated the following wards: Crouch End, Highgate, Stroud Green, and 80% of Hornsey, including the following schools: Campsbourne Infants, Coleridge Primary, Highgate Primary, Rokesly Infants, St Aidan's, St Mary's CE Primary, St Michaels CE Primary N6, Stroud Green Primary, and Weston Park Primary.

Due to a continued fall in demand for school places in PA2 and the fall in demand for local faith places, St Peter in Chains and St Gildas’ Catholic Infant and Junior Schools were both operating as 1 FE schools. From September 2019, after a noticeable decline in admissions, the schools reduced their PAN from 2fe to 1fe. From April 2024, some classes were merged, and the governing body moved the infant school to the federation’s junior school site on Oakington Way in September 2024.

Over several years, the pupil roll at St Peter in Chains and St Gildas’ Catholic Infant and Junior Schools had significantly fallen. The 2017 May census recorded the schools as having 396 pupils on roll (94% of 2fe 420), and the schools now had 61 children on roll (30% of 1fe 210) as of January 2025. This was the difference in pupil rolls between a sustainable 2fe primary school and an unsustainable 1fe primary school.

As previously mentioned, school funding was primarily determined by the number of children on roll, and falling rolls equated to reduced funding. It was extremely difficult for a school to remain financially viable when pupil numbers were falling as most school funding was pupil-based in line with the National Funding Formula. Unused or vacant school places created an immediate cost pressure for a school through a reduced budget, which in turn affected the overall sustainability and quality of education standards.

The purpose of this report was to seek agreement from Cabinet to consult on the closure of St Peter in Chains and St Gildas’ Catholic Infant and Junior Schools. We sought the views of the governing body as well as other local schools and also gathered feedback on the proposals from parents and staff and other stakeholders that might have been impacted by any of the options that might have been progressed. We did not consult on the options of federation or amalgamation as we did not deem these to be viable options.

In proposing the option of closure set out in this report, careful consideration and weight had been given to:

a) the financial viability of St Peter in Chains and St Gildas’ Catholic Infant and Junior Schools if they were to remain open;

b) the risk to the quality of provision if they were to remain open

c) the lack of resilience for the schools and their ability to retain and recruit staff at all levels;

d) the opportunity for another primary school to federate with St Peter in Chains and St Gildas’ Catholic Infant and Junior Schools and whether this could have led to a sustainable solution;

e) whether or not there would have been sufficient primary school places in the local area and in other Roman Catholic schools that could have provided a suitable alternative for displaced pupils.

Whilst the option of closure for the schools was being considered, the Council remained firmly committed to ensuring that all pupils on roll were receiving an excellent education that supported them in reaching their potential.

A consultation on the proposed closure of the schools had been triggered by a lack of demand for places at the school against a backdrop of falling demand in PA2, coupled with concerns about the long-term financial viability and resilience of the school.

Alternative options considered

The following options had been considered:

• No change
• Conversion to academy
• Federation
• Amalgamation resulting in the closure of St Peter's in Chains Catholic Infant and St Gildas' Catholic Junior School, with the displaced pupils being accommodated by another Catholic primary school
• Closure

No change and continuation of current strategy – This was a highly cost-inefficient option and was not sustainable. The Infant school already had a deficit budget, and there was a significant risk that the deficit balance would increase at a greater rate due to falling rolls. The Infant school was predicting a deficit closing balance of £121,440 by the end of March 2025. The Junior school had a projected outturn at 31 March 25 of £45,324 compared to £87,096 in 31 March 2024, a percentage reduction of –48%. The Council had a responsibility to ensure the efficient use of public money. In April 2025, the budget would be further reduced as it would be based on the number of children on roll as of October 2024.

A school with falling rolls had significantly less funding, and this directly affected staffing numbers (both teaching and support staff), resources, equipment, expenditure, maintenance work, and extracurricular activities for children. In time, a school affected by income loss would almost inevitably see performance and standards fall. It was the duty of the Council to ensure that the quality of education for children and stability for teaching and support staff took priority. The operational challenges affecting schools with falling rolls would continue to increase with a negative impact on pupils and no systemic solution.

This option was not recommended as it did not provide a long-term sustainable solution to falling local and faith demand. Taking no action to the issues affecting a school with falling rolls was not an acceptable option available to the Council.

Conversion to Academy – The Governing Body consulted on the option of converting to an academy and joining a Multi-Academy Trust, but this application was withdrawn by the Diocese following discussion with the DfE about the school’s ongoing viability.

Federation – Federated schools operated in collaboration with each other, sharing senior staff and possibly governing bodies, which allowed them to maximise good educational practice while achieving economies of scale. St Peter in Chains Infant School was already federated with St Gildas’ Junior School. Both schools existed as separate organisations but had the same headteacher, deputy headteacher, and governing body.

The current federation model was not achieving its desired impact due to the significant drop in pupil numbers and worsening financial position. Federation was therefore no longer a viable option and not achieving any of the benefits that would normally have been associated with this partnership.

It was also possible for more than two maintained schools to operate under the governance of a single governing body; however, there had been no appetite expressed from any other school to be part of the St Peter in Chain’s and St Gildas’ federation. This would also not have addressed the decline in numbers on roll or the financial risk.

Amalgamation – An amalgamation could only have been achieved by closing one or more schools and providing spaces for displaced children in another ‘host’ school. This option would have involved the host school retaining its original DfE school number as it was not technically considered a new school. However, following the amalgamation process, governors had the option to rename the school to create a new identity for the merged schools.

This option was not recommended due to the current financial position of both schools and reduction in pupil numbers, which made this option very risky and unaffordable. Furthermore, opportunities for a potential amalgamation between St Peter in Chains and St Gildas’ Catholic Infant and Junior Schools and another local Catholic primary school had not yielded any interest from partners.

Closure – The local authority had a statutory duty to ensure the efficient use of resources. Maintaining a school with a declining roll could not have been considered efficient given that there were surplus places in other local schools. The DfE advised that school closure decisions should have been taken when there was no demand for the school in the medium to long term and there were sufficient places elsewhere to accommodate displaced children.

A school closure would have seen the school cease to exist as a statutory entity, with all displaced children taking places in other local schools. School closures could have taken the form of a full and immediate closure, whereby all children on roll were supported to find places in other local schools, or the closure could have been ‘staggered’. A full and immediate closure of St Peter in Chains and St Gildas’ Catholic Infant and Junior Schools was a viable option but would have required all pupils on roll to join the roll of another school. There were sufficient primary school places in the local area and in other Roman Catholic schools in the borough that could have provided a suitable alternative for displaced pupils.

A staggered closure option would have ceased the admission of children into reception each year until all remaining children had worked their way through to year 6, at which time the school would have closed. While this might have been a less disruptive option for some families, it significantly increased the financial burden and further damaged the quality of education at the school as pupils would not have benefited from the mixing of year groups they would usually have experienced. A staggered closure option was therefore not recommended in this case.