Wandsworth Council is expected to confirm the permanent closure of St Anne’s Church of England Primary School this evening, bringing an end to more than a century of education on St Ann’s Hill.
The decision, if approved, will take effect from August 31, 2025—marking the latest in a wave of school closures across London as boroughs confront falling rolls, shifting demographics and rising special needs costs.
St Anne’s has been under pressure for years, but the most recent figures were stark. Just eight children joined the school’s Reception class in September 2024. In 2025, only two families have named it as their first choice. The school now has 132 empty places out of a possible 210—a surplus of 63 per cent, compared to the borough-wide average of 15 per cent.
Governors first proposed the closure in November 2024, warning that the school was no longer financially sustainable. With pupil numbers falling and funding tied to headcount, St Anne’s has already exhausted its reserves and now faces a projected deficit of more than £215,000 by the end of 2026–27. The school has merged classes in key stages one and two, but further cuts, governors say, would severely undermine the quality of education.
Council officers and the Greater London Authority point to wider trends driving the collapse in enrolment: falling birth rates since 2011; the departure of many young families from London after Brexit; the economic fallout of COVID-19; and spiralling living costs.
In Wandsworth, regeneration schemes have replaced social housing with private flats, reducing the number of family homes near schools like St Anne’s. In the local planning area, Reception-age numbers are projected to fall to just 135 by 2028—across five schools with space for 210.
Unhappy parents
Yet many parents say the school is more than a line item on the borough’s budget. While the council report highlights [pdf] that just five responses were received during the formal consultation period (March 10 to April 6), critics argue this vastly understates community sentiment. An earlier consultation drew 28 responses, with the majority opposing the plan. Several parents and staff noted that the outcome felt pre-determined. As one respondent put it, “This consultation is just a whitewash. Closure has already gone through.”
Others were more measured but no less concerned. Respondents emphasised the school’s strong pastoral care, especially for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). One parent wrote, “Children’s well-being will suffer… there is a significant number of children who’ve moved from other schools because other schools haven’t been able to meet their needs.” Another added that closing the school would deprive the area of an important Church of England primary option and “limit parental choice.”
St Anne’s has a notably high proportion of pupils with additional needs: 6 per cent have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), and another 26 per cent receive SEN support. That profile mirrors that of Broadwater Primary School, another Wandsworth school that was closed in 2022. In both cases, campaigners have argued that schools with high SEND populations are more vulnerable under the current per-pupil funding model, which does not fully account for the added costs of inclusive education.
The closure of St Anne’s comes against a backdrop of wider unrest across Wandsworth’s early years and primary education sector, particularly around special educational needs provision.
Last year, staff at Eastwood Nursery School & Centre for Families in Roehampton staged strike action in response to proposed staffing cuts across the borough’s maintained nursery school federation.
The restructuring plan, which aimed to remove 20 posts—including teachers, teaching assistants, and specialist SEND roles—sparked concerns that vulnerable children would lose vital support. Union representatives warned the cuts would disproportionately affect children with complex needs, undermining inclusive education and stretching an already fragile system. The dispute underscored the growing strain placed on schools trying to meet rising SEND demand amid shrinking budgets.
SEND budget problems
Wandsworth itself is now struggling with a ballooning SEND-related budget. The borough’s Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit currently stands at £21.2 million, placing it 13th worst in London even before any central government intervention. Council papers attribute much of that overspend to increasing demand for specialist placements, EHCP provision, and transport services.
Council officers maintain that every pupil at St Anne’s will be offered a place at another local school—453 vacancies are available within one mile, they note—and that a coordinated admissions process is in place to support families. The council also says it is working with the School and Community Psychology Service to ensure smooth transitions for pupils, particularly those with SEND. Uniform grants will be offered where needed, and efforts are being made to keep siblings together.
Staff, too, are being promised support. With teacher shortages reported in parts of the borough, the council expects that most displaced staff can be redeployed. CV workshops, one-to-one advice, and access to employment support services are all being offered, though some staff say the emotional toll of the process cannot be so easily remedied.
Other closures in London
St Anne’s is not alone. Four primary schools are due to close in Hackney this September. Two more—Charlotte Sharman and St Mary Magdalene—in Southwark will close on the same day as St Anne’s: August 31. In Islington, closures have sparked legal challenges. The pattern is consistent: shrinking enrolments, surplus school places, and budget deficits that councils can no longer absorb.
Wandsworth’s Cabinet will vote tonight on whether to confirm the closure. Barring a dramatic intervention, the decision seems all but certain. For the families at St Anne’s, and for the wider community it has served for generations, the countdown has already begun.
