• Falling pupil numbers at Custom House School strain finances and impact the Council’s budget.
• Reduced income from fewer pupils leaves the school with a yearly budget deficit.
Newham Council Cabinet has today (Tuesday 16 September) voted to move onto formal consultation on the closure of Calverton Primary School in Custom House.
Despite being rated ‘outstanding’ in each category by OFSTED, the school, with a dedicated and successful team of staff it has been extremely under-subscribed and therefore under-funded.
Funding of state schools comes from central government and is calculated using a National Funding Formula that considers factors such as the number of pupils and their needs.
Across London, falling pupil numbers are leading to a reduction in funding to deliver education.
Schools with unfilled places receive less income and struggle with financial sustainability, while attempting to maintain their staffing structure and education offer.
Calverton Primary School pupil numbers have been falling at a significantly higher rate than most other schools in the borough and currently it has just 207 pupils on the roll compared to its capacity of 420 places.
Councillor Sarah Ruiz, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Education, said: “I have met with staff, parents, unions and carers at the school, and as we move towards a formal consultation on closing Calverton that support will continue, both to place pupils in appropriate nearby schools and support staff.
“The decision to close a maintained school is not one the Council takes lightly, but the London-wide phenomenon of falling school rolls has hit Calverton particularly hard, making their financial future unsustainable.”
To date there have been cash advances from the Council of £1.2m and the school will require further monthly cash advances of around £150k per month over the next few months to enable major suppliers to be paid.
When a maintained school closes the Council is responsible for the debt carried by the school at the point of closure (cost to General Fund). The longer the Council delays acting, the greater the financial burden it will face.
The overall cost of closure is estimated to be between £3million - £3.5 million. With a growing budget deficit, estimated around £0.6m per annum each year the school remains open; the cost of keeping Calverton open significantly outweighs the associated costs of closing it.
Whatever the result of the formal consultation, Calverton Primary School will remain open until August 2026.
