Warning primary schools face 'catastrophic' wave of closures: Fears plummeting ... trends now
Britain's plummeting birth rate is threating to trigger a 'catastrophic' meltdown of the nation's education system, with fears shrinking class sizes could spark a tsunami of primary school closures.
Disturbing figures show number of children born in England and Wales has fallen to a record low, with campaigners blaming a combination of the Covid pandemic and rising cost of living for the drop.
Meanwhile, more parents are opting to homeschool their children amid worries over their kids' mental health, with the latest figures showing 126,000 were taught at home between 2022-23, a surge of 12.6 per cent from 116,000 the previous year.
The sweeping changes to Britain's schooling landscape have led to classroom sizes shrinking, with at least one primary school in London - where the problem is most acute - now facing closure after just six new pupils registered to join reception.
It comes as the capital continues to struggle with an exodus of families and a falling birth rate, with 8,000 fewer children predicted to go to school in the next four years.
A report into also found that by 2027 there will be more than 3,800 fewer children going into the first year of primary school in the capital - the equivalent of 134 reception classes.
The news comes amid prediction the number of pupils at primary schools in the UK will slump from a high of more than 4.7million in 2019 to 4.06million in five years time
Hundreds of primary schools could be forced to close by the end of the decade because of a dramatic fall in the number of births (File image)
But the decline is not just limited to London, with hundreds of primary schools across England and Wales at risk of being forced to close due to the falling birth rates.
In Hackney, north east London, four primaries will be shutting this summer 'due to a significant decline in the number of school-aged children'.
Meanwhile in nearby Islington, in the north of the city, the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School will also be axed due to the crisis - despite being rated as 'Good' by education watchdog, Ofsted.
The school has space for 210 children but only 76 are registered - less than half. The figures are worse in its reception, which has just six youngsters in a class of potentially 30.
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has now warned the shocking drop in Britain's birth rate risks putting schools out of business - amid fears English schools could lose £1bn by 2030 as pupil numbers continue to fall.
The dire prediction comes after thousands of families found out whether their three and four-year-olds had received their preferred school this week - with more than 90 per cent bagging their first choices.
In a damning statement earlier this month, the EPI said the slump in numbers would see cash-strapped schools losing out on £1bn of government funding over the next five years, because they have fewer pupils in them.
Five London boroughs are expecting to see the total number of students in their schools plunge by at least seven per cent by 2027
The number of reception students is set to plunge to below 85,000 in the next couple of years
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'Schools are already strapped for cash – and even with a dip in pupil numbers, any further cuts to funding would be a catastrophe for our children.'
Projections by the think-tank suggest pupil numbers fell by 818,000 between 2022-23 and 2032-33, following a national birth-rate slump.
The number of children in primary classrooms has been dropping from a peak of 4.7 million five years ago. EPI forecasts show it will drop to 4.06 million in 2028-29.
Secondary numbers will
