Camden Council has published a proposal to consult on the future of four local schools facing falling pupil numbers and financial pressure. The schools are St Alban’s Church of England Primary, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary, St Patrick’s Catholic Primary and La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary.
The proposal is not a decision to close any of them. Camden’s Cabinet is due to consider on 20 October whether to begin separate six-week consultations. If councillors agree, the proposed period would run from 2 November to 14 December, with families, pupils, staff and local residents invited to respond.
Four schools, different possible routes
The possible changes are not identical across the four institutions. The options described for St Alban’s include reducing the number of places, merging with another Camden primary or closure. St Joseph’s options include a smaller intake or closure; St Patrick’s could have fewer places, merge with another primary or close.
For La Sainte Union, the proposals include reducing places, joining a federation with another secondary school, ending its main-school provision while retaining its sixth form, or closing the school altogether. A federation would allow schools to remain open under one governing body, while a merger would mean the existing school ceased to operate as a separate institution. No receiving school has been identified for the possible primary mergers.
Those are options for consultation, not settled recommendations for each school. The Cabinet’s immediate question is whether residents should be asked to consider them. Further decisions would follow only after responses and subsequent stages of the process.
Falling rolls put budgets under strain
The council says falling birth rates and families moving out of London have reduced the number of children available to fill school places. Because school funding is linked to pupil numbers, unused capacity can reduce income while many running costs remain. Camden gives borough-wide averages of £7,500 in annual government funding for each unfilled primary place and £9,700 for each unfilled secondary place.
The four schools have been identified as facing particularly sustained pressure, including vacancies, surplus places and financial challenges. The authority says it has already worked with schools and Camden Learning through support, training and reductions in admission numbers at some schools. It argues that further change now needs to be considered to support a sustainable school system.
The situation is not presented as a criticism of teaching or school standards. The consultation is intended to examine how provision should fit the number and needs of children locally, while allowing affected communities to put forward their views before any outcome is chosen.
What happens next
If Cabinet authorises consultation, the council expects to provide information about each proposal and gather responses through surveys, online information and engagement events. It says particular attention will be given to children with special educational needs and disabilities and to families who may face barriers to participating.
After the proposed consultation closes in December, the council’s indicative timetable says Cabinet would review the responses and consider options in February 2027. If a school closure proposal were then taken forward, a further statutory consultation would be required. A final decision is anticipated in April 2027, and any changes could take effect from September 2027 at the earliest. The council says the timetable may change.
For pupils and families, no immediate change is proposed: each school remains open while the process is considered. The 20 October meeting is a decision about whether to consult, not a verdict on the schools’ future. If consultation goes ahead, its purpose will be to gather views before councillors decide whether any option should progress.
