Revealed: More free schools planned for London as pupil numbers dry up

Dozens of new schools are being planned for London despite existing ones being hit by a surplus of places crisis which could force them to close or merge, the Evening Standard can reveal.

More than 30 new free schools are in the pipeline for London and are set to create 14,500 new places, at a time when schools in the capital are seeing a “significant and sustained” reduction in demand for places.

London Councils on Tuesday called on the Government to review all the free schools that are in the pipeline to ensure they are in areas of need. Some new schools have been in the “pre-opening phase” since 2014, before the need for places dropped.

Ian Edwards, London Councils’ executive member for children and young people, said: “London schools are at a crossroads. Careful management of school places supply is essential to ensuring children across the capital get access to the sustainable, high-quality education they need.”

He added: “We are asking the Department for Education to work with London boroughs to ensure no new free schools are approved in areas where there is clear evidence that demand for school places is decreasing, as this could destabilise existing schools.

“We would like the department and local authorities to work together to review those still in the pipeline to ensure they are still in areas of need.”

New free schools are agreed and overseen by the Department for Education — councils do not have any powers over where or when they are built. Schools are funded per pupil, so any decrease in pupil numbers can leave them struggling to balance their budgets and facing decisions on whether to lose teachers, cancel extra-curricular activities, merge or close.

A spokesman for London Councils said: “Many one-form entry primaries, including many church schools in London are particularly at risk.”

Latest figures from London Councils show 29 out of the 32 London boroughs are expecting a drop in demand for places in reception classes between now and 2026-27, with 7,300 fewer children needing places — a drop of almost eight per cent. The demand for year seven places in secondary schools is also forecast to drop by 3,200 pupils — or 3.5 per cent — over the same time.

The fall in demand reflects the declining birth rate and changes in migration patterns in London, triggered partly by Brexit and the pandemic, London Councils said. Lambeth, Hillingdon, Ealing and Enfield are expected to see the sharpest drop in demand for primary school places, with decreases of around 15 per cent.