Haringey Council has launched a consultation about shutting St Peter’s RC Infant School and St Gildas’ Catholic Junior School in Crouch End, which runs until March 24.
The council says it is considering closure “owing to the significant decline in pupil numbers and concerns around the long-term financial viability of the schools”.
According to the consultation document, the combined pupil numbers have fallen from 324 in 2019 to 65 as of an October 2024 census.
The federated schools, maintained by Haringey Council, are Catholic Voluntary Aided, part of the church’s Westminster Diocese, and have the same headteacher and governing body.
From September 2019, after a “noticeable decline” in admissions, the schools went from having two reception classes for new pupils that year to one.
Some classes were merged in April last year, and the governing body moved the infant school in Elm Grove to the federation’s junior school site in Oakington Way in September.
The consultation document says: “Haringey Council is very concerned that St Peter’s and St Gildas’ Catholic Primary Schools may not be financially viable in the long run.”
It explained that school funding is primarily determined by the number of children on roll, with councils receiving a set amount of funding per pupil.
With falling rolls meaning less money, smaller schools such as St Peter’s and St Gildas’ can feel the greatest impact, compromising their ability to continue providing a high quality of education.
It added: “Less funding means less money for staff, resources, equipment, ability to pay bills, maintenance work, as well as extracurricular activities.”
The document said the governing body consulted on an option of converting to an academy and joining a multi academy trust but the application was withdrawn by the Diocese after a discussion with the Department for Education about the school’s ongoing viability.
The report adds: “A full and immediate closure of St Peter’s and St Gildas’ school is a viable option but would require all pupils on roll to join the roll of another school.
“There are sufficient primary school places in the local area and in other Roman Catholic schools in the borough that can provide a suitable alternative for displaced pupils.”
To access the consultation survey visit https://haringeyprimaryschools.commonplace.is
