St Jude’s and Charlotte Sharman Primary School, both in Elephant and Castle, are considering amalgamating in a bid to make them “economically viable”.
The schools have begun consulting without being told to do so by Southwark Council meaning they are not included in the eight schools that Southwark Council earmarked for amalgamation, as reported in the News last week.
So while this paper is aware of four considering amalgamation, Southwark Council has refused to name the others.
Primaries are merging with neighbouring schools to combat the financial burden caused by falling pupil admissions.
In a letter sent by Charlotte Sharman to parents, the school said it is in discussions with St. Jude’s about a merger.
The letter says that Charlotte Sharman would remain on its current site and that the merger wouldn’t take place until at least September 2024.
Both schools are by the Imperial War Museum and are less than a two-minute walk away from each other.
However, some parents are concerned about how a merger would work given St Jude’s Church of England status.
A letter written to Charlotte Sharman parents, dated March 3, said: “Given the growing pressure on pupil numbers in the area, governors understand that further steps are necessary and are actively seeking a merger as the best option for the future.
“We are currently in discussion with St. Jude’s Primary School, located just across the road.”
Both Charlotte Sharman and St Jude’s are under-capacity although the problem is more acute for St Jude’s.
According to the UK government’s schools website, Charlotte Sharman has 207 pupils on roll out of a capacity of 236.
St Jude’s, on the other hand, has just 108 students out of a capacity of 210, according to the same website.
A concern among parents at St Jude’s is that while it is a Church of England school, Charlotte Sharman is not.
The St Jude’s website says “children are created in the image of God” and its “Christian ethos is central to school life”, with regular visits from a Christian father who leads worship.
Elena Koneva, a parent at St Jude’s, who is an Orthodox Christian, said: “Nobody has told us how it’s going to be. Will we stop being a Church of England school? It’s not clear at all.”
She also said parents were unclear about how an after school club merger would work and how children from the two schools would be introduced to each other. She added that the schools’ close proximity was “convenient”.
The crisis of falling admissions is happening across London, and is being caused by declining birth rates, covid-19, Brexit and regeneration.
The council has said that vacated school premises will not be sold off but instead retain their education purposes.
Southwark Council’s schools boss Councillor Jasmine Ali previously said: “It… leaves the option for us to reopen [them] as a school, ready for the time when birth rates rise again and when new families come to the capital.”