Agenda item

Report of the Corporate 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 stressed that every child and young person, wherever they lived in the borough, deserved an excellent education, and the Council was committed to supporting schools in delivering high-quality teaching, learning, and support across Haringey. It was explained that, in recent years, as widely reported, Haringey, like many other London local authorities, had been experiencing a significant decrease in pupil numbers, which caused some schools to face serious and irreversible financial and sustainability pressures. The critical London-wide factors – lower birth rates, the cap on rent benefits, families leaving the capital due to the housing crisis, Brexit, and the Covid-19 pandemic – resulted in a reduction in demand for primary school places, through no fault of the Council or schools.

School leaders and the Council had been working to mitigate the risks from falling rolls, especially for schools at risk of closure or amalgamation. Measures included restructuring staff, reducing support staff, limiting extracurricular activities such as school trips, combining year groups (vertical grouping), capping class sizes, and requiring deficit recovery plans.

It was explained that the Council had a statutory duty to ensure there were sufficient high-quality school places, and that places were planned effectively. Financial pressure had a significant impact on schools and threatened the stability and quality of education. The Council needed to ensure that all children had access to excellent education to fulfil their potential – hence the consideration of the difficult option of closure for these two schools.

Significant concerns had been raised about the schools’ long-term sustainability, particularly regarding financial viability and their ability to attract new pupils – partly due to a declining birth rate and a sharp reduction in demand for faith school places across the borough. For these reasons, and following a full pre-publication consultation, the Cabinet Member recommended that the Council proceed with publishing the statutory notice. Although alternative options had been considered (including academisation), the rapid decline in school places and financial challenges made it impossible to pursue them seriously. As of March 2025, the schools had a combined roll of only 51 pupils, with some year groups entirely empty.

It was highlighted that many families had already been offered alternative schools via in-year admissions, and children had settled well. If closure was confirmed, the Council would ensure remaining families were supported in transitioning to new schools, including a dedicated admissions officer available on-site and by phone. There were sufficient places in local schools rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted to accommodate all displaced pupils. The Council also recognised that children with SEND, including those with EHCPs, would need tailored support. All EHCP families had attended review meetings to evaluate progress and plan next steps, including possible alternative provision.

It was explained that, if the process moved forward, all staff would receive individualised support and access to normal redeployment procedures. Staff would be added to the Council’s redeployment register and offered support including CV and interview coaching, as well as access to the Employee Assistance Programme for counselling and career advice.

In response to comments and questions from Cllr das Neves, the following information was shared:

• It was stressed that the school building was owned by the local Diocese. It was explained that, as a result, the Diocese would need to undertake work with the Secretary of State for Education to determine any future usage of the site. 

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    Considered the feedback received from the pre-statutory consultation on the closure of St Peter in Chain’s Infant and St Gildas’ Junior Schools.

2.    Noted the reasons for not favouring any alternative options.

3.    Agreed to the publication of a statutory notice to close St Peter in Chain’s Infant and St Gildas’ Junior Schools from September 2025. That a four-week period of statutory consultation would follow, providing the final opportunity for people and organisations to express their views about the proposed closure.

Reasons for Decision

Following years of growth, the number of primary-aged children joining Haringey primary schools had been in steady decline since 2014, a trend observed across London. Primary pupil rolls in Haringey had reduced by over 2,000 in just five years: from 21,300 in 2019 to 19,100 in 2024 (January school census data), and pupil numbers were forecast to continue falling until at least 2028.

Both St Peter in Chain’s Infant and St Gildas’ Junior Schools were substantive two-form entry (2FE) Voluntary Aided Catholic schools located at Oakington Way, London, N8 9EP. Since 2019, the number of pupils on roll had dropped significantly at both schools, and they operated as one-form entry schools. From April 2024, some year groups had been merged, and the governing body moved the infant school to the federation’s junior school site on Oakington Way in September 2024.

School funding was primarily determined by the number of children on roll, and falling rolls equated to reduced funding. This meant that more and more schools were facing serious financial pressures after year-on-year declines to their roll, resulting in smaller one-form entry schools such as St Peter in Chain’s Infant and St Gildas’ falling into financial deficit. This was not just felt by Haringey schools – many primary schools across London and England ended 2023–24 in financial deficit.

The Council had a duty of care to ensure children in its schools were able to receive a good education and access the full curriculum. A school with a declining roll was challenged to do this effectively because of inevitable financial pressures from reduced funding. Reduced funding could impact the efficient running of schools, financial stability, and education standards.

It was a principle of the Council to protect Haringey’s high quality of education, and this may have been compromised where the cost of teaching staff, equipment, and enrichment activities became unaffordable. The link between pupil numbers and school funding meant that it was not always feasible to keep a school operating while guaranteeing the standard of education that families and pupils deserved.

Alternative Options Considered

None