Islington Council seeks views on proposal for Vittoria and Copenhagen primary schools

Across London there has been a significant decline in pupil numbers due to a range of factors including lower birth rates, changes to EU migration, the impact of Covid-19 and increased numbers of families moving out of London.

Islington is no exception to these trends, with falls in pupil numbers in primary schools especially at Reception level. Across the borough’s 46 primary schools, almost one in five Reception places are unfilled. The total number of pupils, of all ages, in Islington’s primary schools, reduced by more than 300 last year.

Islington’s School Organisation Plan sets out how the council will manage surplus places so that our children and young people get the best education and experience at school. In line with ‘Putting Children First’, Islington’s first Education Plan, all planning will start with consideration around the educational experience for children.

All schools receive funding per pupil, so if schools have too many surplus places it results in significantly less funding for salaries, for books and other learning resources, utility bills and running costs. This can have a negative impact on children’s education.

The proposal for Vittoria and Copenhagen primary schools would bring together Vittoria and Copenhagen primary schools into a single school under the Vittoria name, on the existing Copenhagen site. 

This would bring together the identities and strengths of both schools under one roof, so they can make the best use of the staff’s expertise and secure the financial future of the merged school.

Cllr Michelline Safi Ngongo, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families, said: “We are determined to give every child and young person in Islington the best start in life, including an excellent education, as we work to create a more equal future.

“Across London, schools are seeing a reduction in pupil numbers, which means some places are not filled – causing less funding for schools, and less money for salaries and other vital expenses.

“Our proposal for Vittoria and Copenhagen primary schools would bring together the identities and strengths of both schools under one roof, while helping to secure the merged school’s financial future.

“We welcome the views of parents, carers, staff, the local community and other interested parties and will consider all views put forward during the consultation.”

The consultation is now open and will run for six weeks, until 16 December, 2022.

A decision will be taken on whether to proceed with the statutory process to amalgamate the schools at the council’s Executive meeting on 9 February, 2023.

As part of the statutory process, there will be a further four-week statutory representation period following the February decision, should the proposal go ahead. This will be a further opportunity for feedback before a final response to the consultation is made at the council’ s Executive Board at the end of May.

Notes to editor

The consultation can be accessed at islington.gov.uk/copenhagenandvittoria