Hackney’s cabinet to vote on school closures next week

Springfield’s Oldhill Community School, one of six schools affected by the proposals. Photograph: Josef Steen / free for use by LDRS partners

Hackney Council’s leadership is to take its final decision on whether to close several schools in the borough next week, following months of consultation and direct action over the plans.

The Town Hall announced on Monday that the cabinet will vote on proposals affecting six primary schools when it next meets on Tuesday (22 April).

Amid a “significant” fall in pupil numbers across the borough, the council had put forward plans to shut or merge the primaries “to act in the best interests of children and families”, in the words of Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, cabinet member for children and young people.

“Despite the great efforts of schools and the council to mitigate the impact of the resourcing and other challenges caused by falling rolls, it has not been possible to avoid bringing forward proposals for school closures when it is evident that the continued quality of education is at significant risk,” her report stated.

A Town Hall press release added that despite scores of objections received during the statutory notice period alone, it had been recommended to the cabinet that it approves the plans, which are as follows;

• The closure of St Dominic’s Catholic Primary SchoolThe closure of St Mary’s Church of England Primary School
• The closure of Oldhill Community School and the merger of its pupils with Harrington Hill Primary School, with Harrington Hill expanding to two forms of entry
• The closure of Sir Thomas Abney Primary School and the merger of its pupils with Holmleigh Primary School
• As part of the proposals, Oldhill’s special educational provision will move to Harrington Hill.

Holmleigh pupils will move to the site of the defunct Sir Thomas Abney. The latter’s language resource provision (LRP) will remain on site, to be run by Holmleigh.

If approved, the decision will mark the second slew of shutdowns following last year’s closure and merger of four others primaries in the borough for similar reasons.

The council maintains that falling pupil rolls have worsened the financial position of these primary schools, to the point that running them is no longer sustainable.

Cabinet papers published online show that the number of children in the borough’s mainstream primaries has fallen by roughly 2,400 in the seven years between 2017 and 2024.

According to Greater London Authority (GLA) projections, this figure will drop by a further 1,796 between 2025 and 2035.

The proposals have triggered anger and fear in the community, with school staff, pupils and families staging a series of protests and walkouts.

Following a public consultation, which wound up in November, the council in February issued its 28-day statutory notice periods for the closures, during which residents had a final opportunity to share their thoughts.

The council’s report summarised the general sentiment from the 62 total objections it received: “They are ‘financially driven, short-sighted, and fail to consider the educational, emotional, and practical impacts on students, staff, and families.'”

Public feedback emphasised the disruption to established school communities and the impact on special educational needs (SEND) pupils who rely on the stability and support of their current schools.

Respondents who were concerned over the fate of St Dominic’s argued that the closures would reduce faith-based education options in the borough and put more pressure on surrounding schools.

Plans to merge Holmleigh and Sir Thomas Abney and Oldhill and Harrington Hill were criticised for a “perceived lack of fairness, transparency and genuine consideration of alternative solutions”.

Other respondents worried there would be logistical challenges in merging Oldhill and Harrington Hill, and that the move would see longer commute times for families.

The Town Hall’s statement added: “If cabinet decides to proceed with the proposed changes, the council will offer an extensive support offer to families and staff from the affected schools in order to help them through the transition.”

Pending approval, the next steps will be shared after the cabinet meeting.