General questions
We have answered a number of general questions related to the informal consultation. You can also read questions related to each school.
Note: These FAQs are for informational purposes only. For the latest details about the project and next steps please read the full Cabinet report.
How were the schools proposed for closures or mergers chosen?
The situation regarding falling pupil rolls and surplus primary school places is kept under constant review. The Council is particularly mindful of of the position at the January pupil roll census, applications for the reception places for the start of new school year, the overall primary roll position, future pupil roll projections, and the schools’ budget position at the end of the 2023/24 financial year (i.e. 5 April 2024). During this process council officers worked with key stakeholders, including headteachers, governors and diocese representatives, to refine a set of objective criteria for the purpose of a comprehensive analysis of all Hackney Primary Schools. That criteria is summarised in Appendix C of the School Estates Strategy - School Organisation Proposals cabinet report.
During the progress of the review schools were identified for consideration in the period between June and July 2024. A confidential meeting took place between council officers and the leadership of these schools, to present the initial review findings, discuss school specific challenges and gather information to further inform the review process. A decision was taken to proceed with options for the schools in August. The detailed processes and the reasons for the proposed closures and or mergers can be found in Chapters 7 and 8 of the 30 September Cabinet report.
What has been done so far to help schools manage the decrease in the number of pupils?
Finding long term solutions to manage the falling rolls, together with the primary schools affected the most, is an important part of Hackney’s School Estate Strategy.
The Council is continually working with schools to mitigate the effects of falling pupil rolls. Measures taken so far include staffing restructures, reducing planned admission numbers, combining year groups and classes in the school, establishing local school partnerships to achieve savings, limiting extra curricular activities such as school trips, and establishing school budget deficit recovery plans. However, these measures have not, in every case, managed to avoid the need to consider school closures or mergers.
The permanent closure of four primary schools in Hackney at the end of the 2023/24 school year, together with reductions to the planned admission numbers at schools across the borough, are expected to reduce the percentage of empty reception places. However, some Hackney schools are still experiencing falling pupil numbers to the point where it is now necessary to consider their future sustainability. The latest pupil roll projections for Hackney show that without continued intervention our surplus school places will rise again with this situation continuing into the mid 2030s.
The decrease in the number of school aged children is a London wide problem and we are working with other London councils and central government to find solutions.
Are some of the schools proposed for closing or merging better than schools that would remain open?
Although school performance is an important factor that influences parents’ decision on where to send their children, this isn’t the case for Hackney. Our primary schools are ranked amongst the best in the country, with the performance of 99% of them recognised as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.
All six schools included in the current proposals have received positive reviews from Ofsted after their most recent inspections. The decision to consider closure or merger is certainly not because of concerns with their performance.
Why are two faith schools proposed for closure at this time? Why are no academies included in the proposals?
The two faith schools are being proposed for closure at this time because the council is no longer able to maintain them. We will continue to work together with the school leaders and the Dioceses to support children, families, staff and communities through the next steps.
Free schools and academies receive funding directly from the central government (DfE). The Council has no direct control over the opening, closing or running of free schools and academies. However, the Council will continue to work with the DfE so that these schools can also be considered, if it becomes evident that they are no longer sustainable.
We want to offer diversity and choice for residents and will continue to support our range of community, faith, academy & free schools. If we go ahead with the current proposals, the number of schools will reduce, but we will keep the existing options for different types of primary schools to meet the needs of our residents.
What will be done to ensure the wellbeing of all children and families if they need to change schools?
Our primary schools are very experienced in supporting children that transition to secondary schools, as well as those that are transferring from one school to another during the school year. The council is working closely with the schools included in the proposals to provide information and assistance for families and children during the process, including advice and guidance on how to apply to change schools.
If the final decision of the Cabinet, expected in April 2025, is to proceed with closures or mergers, we will build on the experience of supporting families and children whose school recently closed. We will ensure that transition plans have as little impact as possible on the children’s wellbeing, meeting the needs of those most vulnerable.
Will there be more support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)?
All schools in Hackney provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for children with SEND. Many of our schools have a high number of pupils with SEND, and one of our priorities in recent years has been to deliver more new SEND places in the borough. Unfortunately, children with SEND are impacted more by the reduced funding, as schools under financial pressure may cut spending for support services, such as teaching assistants.
Before the Cabinet makes any final decision the council will work closely with SEND coordinators in those schools included in proposals so that they have the necessary information to support families and children during the consultation process. If the decision is to implement proposals, then SEND key workers will provide direct support to the families of children with Education, Health and Care Plans to identify another school that can meet their needs. Targeted support will also be provided to children with SEND, but without an Education, Health and Care Plan, to ensure their transition.
We are committed to ensuring that there is no reduction in specialist SEND provision as a result of implementing these proposals, and that children who need this support can continue to access it.
What will happen with the staff of the schools affected?
In the event of closures or mergers, the Council will do everything it can to help staff find alternative roles. However, as a last resort, some staff will be offered redundancy, which the Council hopes would be managed through voluntary redundancies and retirements.
We will work with the leadership teams of the affected schools to assess the full impact on staff. Staff and all other relevant parties including trade unions would be consulted about any potential changes. Staff members will have access to a separate list of FAQs, which will be accessible via the page of the project.
How will you ensure standards of teaching are maintained between now and any potential merger/closure?
The schools will receive support from the Council’s experienced school improvement team, all of whom are former or serving headteachers or school leaders, and additional support can be offered where needed. Staff will continue to access training and development in the same way.
What will the school sites be used for?
We know that schools are more than just places for children to receive education and that they play an important part in their local community. The process of looking to potentially close or merge schools has only just begun, and no final decision will be made until April 2025.
Any decision on the future use of these sites will be taken in the context of Hackney's priorities, and will have to be financially sustainable. Our priority remains the need to protect the future of the sites as far as is economically possible, identifying “reversible” options if at all possible with a natural preference for uses relevant to, and of value to the local community.
What if the number of children increases and there is more need for school places in the future?
In May 2024 almost a quarter (23%) of all our primary school places were empty and our pupil numbers are projected to drop by a further 2000 or more by the mid 2030s. When looking at the proposed solutions to respond to this trend, we have considered current and future housing development or other changes that could impact the number of families with young children in the areas affected.
The Council has a statutory duty to provide enough high quality school places for all school aged children in the borough. We take our mission of making education work for every child very seriously, and we are always considering the best options when proposing changes that impact our schools.
Should future demand for primary places increase there is existing space within our schools to accommodate additional children, as well as the facility to create additional space, if needed.
What are you going to do to attract more families to live in the borough, to avoid other schools being closed or merged?
Hackney is an incredible place with amazing people, and we want to make sure it remains the heart of London: diverse, vibrant, creative, exciting, economically adaptable, and fairer for all.
Whilst the Council remains committed to providing more affordable family housing across the borough, having delivered more than 1,000 new homes since 2011 and committed to starting 1,000 more by 2026, the housing crisis has also contributed to a reduction in demand for primary school places.
The key drivers for the decline in the number of children in Hackney are outside of our direct control. Despite our continuous efforts to deliver new houses that are genuinely affordable, and our future plans for new Council and family housing, our projections continue to show that the demand for school places will remain low.
Are other primary schools at risk? Can the Council guarantee that the schools children would move to wouldn’t also close in a few years?
Given the scale of the problem and that many factors that influence the reduction in pupil number are outside the Council’s direct control, we are unfortunately unable to provide absolute assurances about the future of other schools. We will continue to work together with schools and to lobby the central government for help, not just for Hackney, but also for other London boroughs that are facing similar problems.
The Council has a legal duty to ensure that schools provide high quality places for the children. And we need to ensure all our schools continue to provide excellent education, with good resources and facilities. This means the council must continue to closely monitor surplus places and school’s financial positions.
Proposing closing and merging schools are amongst the most difficult and emotionally challenging decisions we can make, and not one we would ever choose to do unless we had no other choice. But the quality of education for our children, and stability for our school staff, must remain a priority.
Why is the Council considering closing or merging some small one-form entry primary schools?
Smaller schools that don’t have sufficient pupils to fill their classrooms can feel the greatest impact on funding and their ability to continue providing high quality education for our children. This is particularly true for one form entry schools, those with 30 children per year group, that are not part of a federation or academy trust. Reduced budgets impact on a school’s ability to set aside sufficient funds to deal with day to day repair and maintenance costs, as resources must be prioritised to deal with staffing and the delivery of high quality education. Partnering with other schools can help to achieve savings by sharing resources and expertise.
Will secondary schools be affected later on?
The significant drop we have seen in pupil numbers in our primary schools will affect secondary schools in the next 2-5 years. Currently there are no plans to close or merge secondary schools. The good results and popularity of Hackney secondary schools will help to protect some of them from the greatest impact.However, we are working with our secondary schools to mitigate the future risks.
Why did the Council decide to propose new changes before seeing the full impact of the four closures in August 2024?
The currently unsustainable surplus of school places is creating significant resource challenges for many schools and will inevitably have an adverse impact on our schools’ ability to maintain the high quality education that our children and families expect and deserve.
The need to propose further action at this time is therefore evident, especially in view of the future pupils roll projections. The number of schools operating with a deficit balance is growing and the reserves held across maintained, mainstream primary schools are diminishing at an unsustainable rate. For example, 64% of maintained, mainstream, primary schools, or the federations they form part of, ended the 2023/24 financial year having overspent by more than £4.3m. The combined reserve/contingency funds held across all maintained, mainstream primary schools, or the federations they form part of, decreased by 64% in 2 years (from £9.1m in 21/22 to £3.2m in 23/24).
The school closures in August 2024 have boosted the number of children on roll at other nearby Hackney schools for the current academic year.
Why doesn’t the Council wait for the central government to give more funding for schools?
The council can not afford to wait to see if the central government will increase funding for schools. The current level of surplus school places is unsustainable and is already creating significant resource challenges for many schools and will inevitably have an adverse impact on our schools’ ability to maintain the high quality education that our children and families expect and deserve.
How many pupils may need to change school as a result of the proposals?
Approximately 700 pupils might need to change schools if all the proposals are implemented. This estimate is based on the May 2024 census and Reception 2024 offers in July 2024. The number of children potentially impacted is constantly changing as pupils join and leave schools.
How many members of staff may be affected by the proposals?
Approximately 133 staff members might be affected if all the proposals are implemented. This estimate is based on payroll data. Due to errors in calculation this figure was updated on 19/11/2024.
Are there any housing development plans in the areas impacted that would affect the demand for school places?
The housing development plans for these areas have been factored into the latest round of pupil roll projections, including the development plans for the Woodberry Down Regeneration.
Despite our continuous efforts to deliver new houses that are genuinely affordable, and our future plans for new Council and family housing, our projections continue to show that the demand for school places will remain low.
Will there still be sufficient places for all school aged children if all the schools close?
Yes. In May 2024 there were 577 surplus reception places. If all of the proposals are implemented 90 reception places would be removed. Similarly, in May 2024 there were 4804 surplus places across all year groups. If all of the proposals are implemented 780 places would be removed.
Analysis of vacancies at nearby schools shows that there is capacity to accommodate all Hackney pupils within statutory walking distance. More information can be found in the Appendix to the Cabinet report.
Will families have enough time to choose an alternative place for their children if the Council decides in April to close their school?
If the council decides to close/merge schools in April 2025, then families will have enough time from that decision until the end of the school year in late July 2025.
In the case of a school closure families will be supported to secure a place at an alternative school near to their home. Children will be given priority for places at most Hackney schools (ie. those where the council is the admission authority). A dedicated admissions officer will assist parents with information and guidance and support them to apply for alternative schools.
If proposals to merge schools are implemented, families will have a guaranteed place at the continuing school. Parents will not need to apply because their child will automatically transfer at the end of the school year.
Parents also have a right to secure a place at an alternative school at any time via the council’s In Year Admissions process. Although, we encourage families to keep their children at their current school through to the end of the school year.
The process will be different for children with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP). For these families, parents will be contacted as soon as possible to begin discussion about the transition to alternative schools, in case the council decides in April 2025 to implement proposals. The council needs to begin preparing with children and their families before a final decision is taken so that there is time to prepare a supportive transition and the impact of possibly changing schools is minimised and well managed.
Why didn’t the Council tell us earlier about these proposals?
The situation regarding falling pupil rolls and surplus primary school places is kept under constant review by the council.
When deciding to close/merge four schools in August 2024 the council recognised that, based on the latest projections available at the time, further action would be required to reduce surplus reception places to a sustainable level.
The Council is conscious of how consulting on proposals for closure/merger can negatively affect schools and their communities. For this reason the timing of announcing consultation on these proposals was intended to minimise the period of uncertainty for families and staff, but still allow sufficient time for the necessary consultation and legal processes to happen.
What is the long term strategy of the Council to ensure that it doesn’t have to close more schools in the future?
The Council’s Schools Estate Strategy sets out the borough’s vision to provide an excellent equitable local educational experience for all Hackney children and young people. This includes:
- working in partnership with schools to seek viable solutions to challenges such as falling pupil rolls
- increasing the number of local places for children with special educational needs
- establishing a long term sustainable use plan for all education sites in the borough
Unfortunately the impact of surplus places will continue to affect Hackney schools in the coming years, even though four schools closed in August 2024.
Given the scale of the problem and that many factors that influence the reduction in pupil number are outside the Council’s direct control, we are unfortunately unable to provide absolute assurances about the future of other schools. However, we will continue to work with our schools and our other partners to ensure that school closures are only considered when all other options have been exhausted.
How can I share my views on the proposals?
We are now asking parents, staff, and all interested stakeholders to share their views as part of this informal consultation on the proposals. Your opinions and comments submitted during this stage will be considered before any further decisions are made.
You can take part in the consultation by completing the response form.
School specific questions
You can find a list of questions and answers for specific schools below: