Schools with falling pupil numbers could be forced to run mixed-age classes
Primary schools in England struggling with falling pupil numbers could be forced to run mixed-age classes to cope financially, a report has suggested.
Schools with many unfilled places may also have to close in the future due to budgetary pressures.
The report comes from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), which has predicted the percentage of primary school places that are unfilled will rise from 12% to 16% over the next five years.
In inner London, unfilled places are projected to rise from 20% to 30% over the same period.
The report said the situation suggests that continuing falling pupil numbers will cause more primary schools to "face significant financial strife in future unless they find ways to cut costs substantially or funding is significantly increased".
It added: “One possibility is that schools may look to create mixed-age classes in an effort to save the cost of teachers and teaching assistants.”
London councils warned last year that schools could be forced to merge or close as a result of falling pupil numbers and funding pressures.
The number of applications for places at primary schools in the capital fell last year due to the falling birth rate, as well as families leaving the city after the pandemic and Brexit, councils said.
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Tiffnie Harris, primary specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “The decline in pupil numbers represents a huge financial risk that schools must not be left to shoulder on their own.
“Schools have a limited ability to reduce costs, as many of these are fixed and they still must have the staff necessary to keep the school running.
“Primary schools are already introducing mixed-age classes in response to falling rolls and it is inevitable that some smaller schools will be forced to close if they are not given any form of financial support.”
One of the possible solutions for managing falling rolls suggested by the NFER is for the government to increase per-pupil funding faster than inflation.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Falling pupil rolls do not necessarily have to lead to school closures – and this NFER report contains some intelligent ideas about how to keep schools going when there is a dip in pupil numbers.
“School closures can have a devastating impact, not only for the individuals attending and working directly at the schools, but for their entire community, including decisions about where people live and work and even local property prices.”
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