Parents and staff frustrated by ‘delays’ in council’s school merger process

Parents and staff at a school set for amalgamation have said the council-led process has been riddled with “delays” and “confusion”.

Staff at King’s Avenue Primary School in King’s Avenue, Clapham, say it has taken Lambeth council three months to create a draft document to outline the process for its proposed amalgamation with Glenbrook Primary School in Clarence Crescent, Clapham.

The merger would see Kings Avenue Primary School closed down with all students offered a place at Glenbrook Primary School. The changes set to take effect from September 1, 2026.

Lambeth council announced the merger in November 2024, alongside a swathe of school closures, as the local authority tried to make up its losses from a decade of falling pupil numbers.

A member of staff at King’s Avenue, who asked not to be named, said: “We were repeatedly told to ‘wait for updates,’ yet crucial information has been withheld for months.

“In the meantime, staff have been looking for secure employment, and parents have been pressured to move their children elsewhere. 

“Now we are being given a loose framework when much of the damage has already been done.”

A Lambeth council spokesman said the local authority has held a series of meetings with the leaders of both schools since December, with the most recent meeting being held on January 31. 

He said: “There have also been letters and other communications with the school community.”

The draft document, which staff received last week, provides a general framework for the amalgamation process including the legal basis for school amalgamations, the HR and staffing process and the expected timeline for the council to finalise its decisions up to 2026.

But, with no clear guarantees on how staff redundancies will be handled, teaching unions have raised the possibility of industrial action to prevent compulsory job losses.

Michael Holland, a Lambeth representative for the National Education Union (NEU), said: “We are determined that there will be no compulsory job losses of any staff.

“Teachers and support staff should be relocated to other schools within the borough.

“We need proper funding from central government to tackle these issues – we had 14 years of Tory austerity, we didn’t expect austerity to continue under a Labour government.”

The parents and staff of King’s Avenue Primary School are calling for written commitments from Lambeth council, including a concrete decision on the amalgamation date, clarity on possible staff redundancies and guarantees that no further delays will occur.

A Lambeth council spokesman said: “We appreciate this is a stressful process for all, but one we must follow to safeguard the future of primary school education in the borough in the face of falling pupil numbers. 

“The council has consulted with trade unions, the governing bodies and staff about proposed timelines. The governing bodies will be sharing next steps with all stakeholders very soon, and they will also work with the council to ensure a smooth transition to bringing the two school communities together.”

Pictured top: King’s Avenue Primary School in Clapham (Picture: Google Street View)