Redbridge will have 675 fewer primary school places by 2029 than in 2020, as falling birth rates and families moving out of London leave fewer children needing a mainstream school place.
The council has already removed, or plans to remove, 525 places between September 2020 and September 2027, including a reduction of 195 places already agreed for September 2027. A further 150 places are planned to go between September 2028 and September 2029.
The reductions are part of the council’s School Organisation Strategy, which runs from September 2026 to August 2031. In total, the borough’s primary school Published Admission Number (PAN), the number of pupils schools can admit, will fall from 4,500 to 3,825.
The council says its pupil place planning model has been accurate to within 1.5% in previous years. Its forecasts draw on pupil numbers, demographic information, housing developments and the schools parents choose, and will be reviewed regularly as circumstances change. The council says decisions will be timely, transparent and evidence-led.
It also wants to keep some spare capacity across mainstream schools, to cope with changes in pupil numbers, parental preferences, children joining mid-year, and fair-access protocols. Strategy documents put the target at about 4%, but an officer at a committee meeting referred to a 5% buffer.
The strategy focuses on borough-wide adjustments to Published Admission Numbers (PAN), and changes affecting individual schools would be developed separately and subject to consultation.
Admission Arrangements for September 2027, including PAN reductions, were subject to public consultation.
