Hundreds of schools are at risk of closure after a massive fall in the birth ... trends now
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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.
The population of young children is expected to plummet by more than half a million by 2030 – the equivalent of 17,000 classes or 1,800 schools – the latest data analysis has suggested.
A baby boom in the early 2000s, partially fuelled by migration, fizzled out and births began to decline from 2010. It has meant primary schools that were once scrambling to acquire extra classrooms are now unable to fill places, which has already led to dozens facing closure in Yorkshire, Norfolk, Cumbria, Brighton, Wigan, Bristol and London.
New data has suggested the problem is also transferring to secondaries, with 4,000 fewer children applying to London secondary schools this year – a fall expected to be mirrored nationally. Secondary pupil numbers across the country are forecast by the Department for Education to fall from 2025 onwards, reaching 98,000 fewer by 2030 – a three per cent drop which is equivalent to 3,266 classes or 92 schools.
Schools receive on average about £7,000 for each child on their register, so if numbers drop
