Why London’s Primary Schools Are Losing Pupils at an Alarming Rate

London’s primary schools are facing a sharp fall in pupil numbers, and the pressure is no longer just a future concern. Across the capital, fewer children are entering classrooms, school rolls are shrinking, and some boroughs are seeing declines large enough to threaten budgets, staffing and even the survival of schools.

The fall is being driven by several forces at once: fewer births, high housing costs, families leaving the capital, and wider demographic changes after years of growth. The Education Policy Institute found that nine of the ten local authorities with the biggest recent drops in primary pupil numbers were in London, with Westminster recording the largest fall at 15.9%.