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
The fall in pupil numbers has been observed in recent years in the majority of London boroughs, as a result of a series of factors including lower birth rates, the cap on housing benefits, and families leaving London, as a result of the housing crisis, the cost of living, Brexit, and the pandemic.
In addressing the ongoing challenge of falling pupil rolls the school estate strategy acknowledges the need to reduce the number of surplus primary school places to ensure that schools can continue to maintain high quality education.
The council has therefore been working with schools under particular pressure due to a decline in pupil numbers affecting their financial stability and sustainability. This work has included considering a range of options for school organisational change, such as:
- reducing the school's planned admission number
- the school(s) establishing or joining a federation
- amalgamating (merging) with another nearby school
- closing the school on a permanent basis if this becomes necessary