‘Tearing the heart out of our communities’: Two Southwark schools set to close despite campaigns

Two primary schools are set to close at the end of August, despite fierce campaigns to halt the decisions.

Charlotte Sharman and St Mary Magdalene schools will close their doors on August 31, new reports from Southwark council have confirmed, despite efforts from parents, staff and Liberal Democrat councillors fighting to keep them open.

St Mary Magdalene’s proposed closure in 2023 caused a stir after the headteacher and governor hit out at the council’s handling of the situation which they said left them in a “term of paralysis”. 

Hopes were raised when a potential solution involving a nursery school looked to be a way through the crisis, but the council has now decided to close the school. 

Southwark council began consulting on the closure of Charlotte Sharman, in St George’s Street, Elephant and Castle, last month due to falling pupil numbers and a “significant budget deficit”.

More than 40 per cent of children at Charlotte Sharman receive free school meals, and 22 per cent have special educational needs. 

In a bid to fight the proposal, parents launched a petition on change.org that has received more than 800 signatures.

Cllr Maria Linforth-Hall and Cllr Graham Neale, Liberal Democrat cllr’s for St George’s Ward where the school is based, joined the campaign, writing to Southwark’s Cabinet Member for Education in March to urge a rethink. 

In her reply, the Cabinet Member for Education acknowledged the issues raised by the Councillors, but confirmed that the council would continue to move to closing the school. 

Cllr Neale said: “I know this decision will come as a huge blow to parents and families who value this school so deeply – a feeling clearly shown by the way the community rallied together to try and save it. Labour’s failure is tearing the heart out of our communities.”

This comes a year after a planned merger of Charlotte Sharman with St Jude’s – a Church of England school – fell through. 

Charlotte Sharman is the only non-faith school in the St George’s ward. Half of the children at the school are from a Muslim background, and a further 17 per cent come from families of no faith.

The Liberal Democrats understand that a number of proposals such as reducing the school to half form entry or reducing and redistributing the class sizes of nearby schools had been put forward by the school and campaigners, but had been rejected. 

Cllr Neale said: “This is the direct consequence of Labour’s failure to keep the cost of living down in inner London. 

“Families are being priced out, and the result is plummeting pupil numbers, leaving our local schools in increasingly difficult positions.”

The National Education Union (NEU) – which represents 24 of the 26 staff at the school – said its members “unanimously oppose” plans to close the school and were now being balloted for strike action.  Provisional strike dates are set for May 20, 21 and June 3, 4 and 5.

Cllr Jasmine Ali, said: “Southwark’s schools are one of our borough’s greatest successes and we are determined to keep standards high. Having full schools is vital to this as national school funding is per pupil, which means that after they have paid for the teacher and building, schools with half-empty classrooms simply can’t afford all the extras needed to provide a great education.

“We work closely with all of our schools and parents to get those decisions right. Even during a closure consultation, other options may still emerge. Our priority is making sure children continue to receive a high-quality education in strong, sustainable schools. St. Mary Magdalene’s and Charlotte Sharman’s pupils and families will be fully supported through this process.”

Pictured top: Charlotte Sharman School (Picture: Google Street View)