Five primary schools in Westminster will be merged into two due to declining student numbers and financial pressures.
New merged schools
- Barrow Hill Junior School, Robinsfield Infant School, and George Eliot Primary School will join together to form St John’s Wood Primary School.
- Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Primary School will merge with St Mary of the Angels Catholic Primary School.
Both mergers follow significant drops in enrolment. Our Lady of Dolours was only at 54% capacity, while the other schools ranged from 75% to 85%. The falling numbers are attributed to a declining birth rate and rising housing costs, which make it harder for families to stay in the area. Since school funding is tied to student enrolment, fewer pupils means tighter budgets. Our Lady of Dolours and St Mary of the Angels are facing projected deficits of £550,000 and £186,000 respectively.
Community opposition
Many parents have opposed the changes. A consultation showed that 83% of respondents disagreed with the merger plans. In the case of the Catholic schools, a petition raised concerns about overcrowding, suggesting the merger would push St Mary of the Angels to 130% capacity. The petition also noted that only about half of the pupils at Our Lady of Dolours are Catholic, which could alter the religious makeup of the combined school.
The chairs of governors acknowledged the concerns, saying the decision may bring “some changes and perhaps a level of uncertainty.” Despite this, they moved forward with the plans in spring, and the proposals are now with Westminster City Council for final consideration.
A formal petition opposing the merger of the Catholic schools will be reviewed by the council, with critics arguing that alternative solutions were not fully explored and community feedback was overlooked. Photo by Educators .co.uk, Wikimedia commons.