An FoI request regarding school rolls in Brent following the January 'in Year' census has revealed a considerable number of unfilled Reception class places in the borough as well as unfilled places scattered across the primary school years. Some of the vacancies are at schools that were expanded as a result of the high primary demand of recent years. Demographic factors such as EU citizens going home post-Brexit and families being housed outside of London as a result of the Benefit Cap may have affected the numbers.
In the late 70s primary schools suffered from what was called 'falling rolls' as the population of children reduced. This resulted in the closure of some schools and amalgamation of others. In what was then the Inner London Education Authority teachers were compulsorily redeployed to schools needing teachers.
We are not at that point yet but some schools might eventually reduce their forms of entry - the number of classes they take in at Reception and then in each year group throughout the school. Each form of entry is 30 pupils so when interpreting the figures the number of vacancies in each school the number of forms of entry needs to be taken into account. 10 vacancies in a five form entry school is much less serious that 10 vacancies in a one form entry school.
School funding is for the most part based on the number of pupils, so schools suffering from a large number of vacancies will incur a financial loss. Budgeting becomes more difficult when the reduction in numbers is less than a whole class so the school cannot reduce the number of teachers but has less money to spend on them and teaching assistants. I understand that some schools which have expanded may have negotiated a 'cushion; with the local authority so they are funded for a full teacher's salary even if the class has vacancies. Unfilled vacancies reduce the number of pupil in each class in a cohort so there is some educational advantage but at a time of education cuts these are undermined by the financial impact.
The core funding per primary pupil (before sums for deprivation, EAL and other factors are added) is about £3,400.
In the table below, based on the FoI response LINK, I have included vacancies throughout the school as well as Reception vacancies. I have listed only those schools with significant vacancies. St Mary's RC Primary at only 2 forms of entry is the one with one of the highest percentage vacancies.
Kilburn Grange Free School is not funded by the local authority but instead directly funded by the DfE. As a new school it only has children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. It has only filled the equivalent of 4 out of 6 classes.
The figures do raise the issue of whether the planned Ark Primary free school on the carpark of York House in Wembley is needed at its planned 3 forms of entry (90 children a year) when the recently expanded Elsley Primary School (it doubled in size) has 48 vacancies, although it will be argued the places are needed for the new Quintain developments.
In the late 70s primary schools suffered from what was called 'falling rolls' as the population of children reduced. This resulted in the closure of some schools and amalgamation of others. In what was then the Inner London Education Authority teachers were compulsorily redeployed to schools needing teachers.
We are not at that point yet but some schools might eventually reduce their forms of entry - the number of classes they take in at Reception and then in each year group throughout the school. Each form of entry is 30 pupils so when interpreting the figures the number of vacancies in each school the number of forms of entry needs to be taken into account. 10 vacancies in a five form entry school is much less serious that 10 vacancies in a one form entry school.
School funding is for the most part based on the number of pupils, so schools suffering from a large number of vacancies will incur a financial loss. Budgeting becomes more difficult when the reduction in numbers is less than a whole class so the school cannot reduce the number of teachers but has less money to spend on them and teaching assistants. I understand that some schools which have expanded may have negotiated a 'cushion; with the local authority so they are funded for a full teacher's salary even if the class has vacancies. Unfilled vacancies reduce the number of pupil in each class in a cohort so there is some educational advantage but at a time of education cuts these are undermined by the financial impact.
The core funding per primary pupil (before sums for deprivation, EAL and other factors are added) is about £3,400.
In the table below, based on the FoI response LINK, I have included vacancies throughout the school as well as Reception vacancies. I have listed only those schools with significant vacancies. St Mary's RC Primary at only 2 forms of entry is the one with one of the highest percentage vacancies.
Kilburn Grange Free School is not funded by the local authority but instead directly funded by the DfE. As a new school it only has children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. It has only filled the equivalent of 4 out of 6 classes.
The figures do raise the issue of whether the planned Ark Primary free school on the carpark of York House in Wembley is needed at its planned 3 forms of entry (90 children a year) when the recently expanded Elsley Primary School (it doubled in size) has 48 vacancies, although it will be argued the places are needed for the new Quintain developments.
| School Name | Forms of entry | Vacancies (unfilled places Reception) | Waiting List | Total vacancies whole school |
| Brentfield | 3 | 20 | 0 | 44 |
| Bryon Court | 5 | 44 | 0 | 69 |
| Carlton Vale Infants | 2 | 22 | 0 | 66 |
| Christchurch CofE | 1 | 8 | 0 | 21 |
| East Lane Primary | 3 | 0 | 0 | 156 |
| Elsley Primary School | 4 | 48 | 0 | 71 |
| Harlesden Primary School | 3 | 38 | 0 | 112 |
| Kilburn Grange Free School | 2 | 13 | 0 | 62 |
| Lyon Park Primary | 4 | 8 | 2 | 20 |
| Newfield Primary | 2 | 17 | 1 | 48 |
| Preston Park Primary | 3 | 12 | 1 | 45 |
| Roe Green Strathcona School | 1 | 23 | 1 | 75 |
| St Andrew & St Francis CofE | 2 | 9 | 0 | 18 |
| St Mary's CofE Primary | 2 | 7 | 1 | 48 |
| St Mary's RC Primary School | 2 | 25 | 0 | 150 |
| The Stonebridge Primary | 3 | 57 | 0 | 85 |
| Uxendon Primary School | 3 | 16 | 2 | 53 |
| Total vacancies | 367 | 1143 |