Camden Council’s Cabinet has authorised public consultations on the future of four borough schools, opening a formal process in which closure is one possibility but is not yet a decision. The six-week consultations are expected to run from 2 November to 14 December, with families, staff, pupils and local residents invited to respond.
The schools are St Alban’s Church of England Primary School, St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School and La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School. The Cabinet decision, made on 20 October, changes the status of a proposal first put forward earlier this month: residents are now to be consulted, rather than councillors merely considering whether to start that process.
That distinction matters. Camden has not voted to close any of the four schools. The consultations are intended to gather views on a range of possible structural changes. The council’s indicative timetable says Cabinet members would review the responses in February 2027 and consider which options might proceed. If a closure proposal were then advanced, a further four-week statutory representation period would follow. The council expects final decisions in April 2027; any changes could take effect from September, depending on what is agreed.
Different options for each school
The options are not identical across the four institutions. They include reducing the number of places, merging a school with another, forming a federation, retaining sixth-form provision while ending a school’s main provision, or closure. Which options apply differs by school, and they remain matters for consultation rather than settled outcomes.
A federation generally allows schools to share a governing structure while continuing as separate schools. A merger would combine institutions more fully. The precise alternatives, and how they might affect pupils and communities, will be among the issues residents can examine in the consultation materials. The council says it plans to provide information about each school and use online material, surveys and engagement events to gather responses.
La Sainte Union’s sixth form features in one possible pathway: ending the school’s main provision while keeping sixth-form provision. This is an option under consideration, not a confirmed plan. At the Cabinet meeting, families and school community members also raised alternatives including federation and merger arrangements. Their contributions illustrate that consultation is not simply a vote for or against closure; participants can argue for different ways to sustain provision.
Falling rolls and financial pressure
The council says the four schools face particularly sustained challenges, including falling pupil numbers, surplus places and financial pressures. It attributes lower demand across Camden and London to falling birth rates and families moving out of the capital. Because school funding is linked to pupil numbers, unfilled places can reduce income while many operating costs remain.
Camden estimates that, on average, an unfilled primary place represents £7,500 a year in government funding and an unfilled secondary place £9,700. Those are borough-wide averages cited by the council, not a calculation of the specific losses at each named school. The authority says it has already provided targeted support and training and reduced admission numbers at some schools, but considers further options necessary to address the continuing pressure.
The next stage gives affected communities a defined period to challenge assumptions, describe local needs and suggest alternatives. Camden says it will pay particular attention to ensuring that children with special educational needs and disabilities, and families who may face barriers to participation, can take part. Consultation responses will inform later consideration, but do not themselves determine the outcome.
For now, the Cabinet’s decision is to consult on possible futures, not to close schools. The process leaves several stages before any final decision, including consideration of the responses and, if closure is proposed, a separate statutory opportunity to make representations. Camden says the timetable is indicative and subject to change.
