Key Points
- Hackney Council closed four primary schools in August 2024 due to falling pupil numbers: Colvestone Primary School (merged with Princess May), Baden Powell Primary School (merged with Nightingale), Randal Cremer Primary School, and De Beauvoir Primary School.
- A further four schools closed or merged in August/September 2025: St Dominic’s Catholic Primary School, Oldhill Community School (merged with Harrington Hill), Sir Thomas Abney Primary School (merged with Holmleigh, which relocated to the site), and St Mary’s Church of England Primary School (church-owned).
- Council committed to retaining ownership of its sites and repurposing them for community benefit, balancing finances, planning rules, and local needs.
- Phase 1 sites vacant since September 2024: Colvestone for lease to sustainable community organisation (Grade II listed, Dalston landmark); Baden Powell reopening as SEND expansion of Ickburgh School (48 places); Randal Cremer and De Beauvoir for housing, including temporary to address crisis.
- Phase 2 sites: Updates pending for St Dominic’s (Homerton), Oldhill (Stamford Hill), Sir Thomas Abney (Woodberry Down); St Mary’s owned by church.
- Falling pupil numbers: From 0.35% vacant reception places in 2014 to 21-24% now; £30m+ funding loss; projections to 20%+ surplus.
- Rising SEND demand amid primary decline; housing crisis with thousands waiting.
- Mayor Caroline Woodley: “We cannot let these buildings sit empty or simply offload them to the highest bidder”.
- Cllr Anntoinette Bramble: “It is with a heavy heart… there simply aren’t enough children in Hackney”.
- Support packages: Uniform grants, £30k per school, transition aid.
- All changes subject to planning permission and government approval for non-education use.
Hackney (East London Times) February 5, 2026 – Hackney Council has unveiled plans to repurpose eight vacant primary school buildings following closures driven by a sharp decline in pupil numbers, aiming to transform them into community assets addressing SEND needs and the housing crisis. Four schools shuttered in August 2024—Colvestone, Baden Powell, Randal Cremer, and De Beauvoir—leaving sites empty since September, while another four followed in 2025, with the local authority prioritising public ownership over sales. Proposals balance financial viability, heritage protection, and borough priorities, subject to planning consents.
Why Are Primary School Numbers Falling in Hackney?
Hackney has witnessed a dramatic drop in primary-aged children, prompting successive closures. As detailed in council documents, reception vacancies surged from 10 unfilled places in 2014 (0.35%) to 634 in 2022-23 (21.86%), equating to £4.11m lost funding that year alone across primaries. By October 2024, 23% of reception places (610) and 24% overall (4,855) stood vacant, projecting a further 2,700 pupil decline by the early 2030s, per Greater London Authority forecasts.
Schools lose £6,484 per vacancy annually, straining budgets for staff, maintenance, and resources amid rising energy costs. Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Young People and Children’s Social Care, stated in ITV News London coverage by journalists on April 23, 2025:
“It is with a heavy heart that we have had to decide for the second time in as many years to close four of our primary schools because there simply aren’t enough children in Hackney”.
Factors include falling birth rates, families exiting London due to housing costs, Brexit, and the pandemic.
Which Schools Closed in Phase 1 and What Are the Proposals?
Phase 1 involves four sites vacant since September 2024 after Cabinet decisions on December 11, 2023. Colvestone Primary School in Dalston, a Grade II listed landmark near Ridley Road Market and Kingsland High Street, is proposed for leasing to organisations offering sustainable, community-benefiting uses like education, arts, or social enterprise. As reported on the council’s news site, the Council has received numerous expressions of interest from education providers, charities, and others; an update is due later in 2026, pending planning and government approval.
Baden Powell Primary School in Clapton/Hackney Downs will reopen as a specialist SEND facility, expanding Ickburgh School with 48 places for children with severe learning difficulties and autism. Evening Standard journalists noted on November 5, 2025: Plans include refurbished classrooms, breakout areas, art/food technology rooms, therapy spaces, and new fittings, reducing costly out-of-borough placements. Cllr Anya Sizer, Deputy Cabinet Member for Families, Early Years and SEND, remarked in a November 4, 2025 council press release:
“Repurposing the site… would allow us to offer more tailored support for our children in greatest need closer to their home”.
Statutory notice ran November 6 to December 3, 2025; refurbishments start mid-2026, pupils from September 2027.
Randal Cremer Primary School in Hoxton and De Beauvoir Primary School in Dalston are eyed for housing to combat shortages, with thousands on waiting lists and rising temporary accommodation use. Yahoo UK News on July 29, 2025, quoted Mayor Caroline Woodley:
“We are proposing… assisting families in urgent housing situations”.
Options include permanent and temporary homes, allowing future reconversion if pupil demand rises; proposals under development. Reddit discussions in r/Hackney on January 30, 2026, and November 23, 2025, highlighted community concerns over temporary housing impacting neighbourhoods.
What Happened with Phase 2 School Closures?
Phase 2 saw four more changes from September 2025, approved by Cabinet on April 22, 2025. St Dominic’s Catholic Primary School in Homerton closed due to low rolls (one form entry on a two-form site) and deteriorating finances, as per council FAQs. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster supported this, noting unsustainability amid projected declines; pupils prioritised for nearby Catholic or local schools like Berger, Gainsborough, or St Scholastica’s.
Oldhill Community School in Stamford Hill merged with Harrington Hill Primary School, which expanded to two forms of entry including Oldhill’s special provision. Sir Thomas Abney Primary School in Woodberry Down merged with Holmleigh Primary School, which relocated to the larger Abney site and expanded similarly. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Stoke Newington, owned by the church, also closed. The council pledged community updates on these sites’ futures.
Consultations from October-November 2024 drew 369 responses, analysed for January 2025 Cabinet; statutory representations ran February 6 to March 5, 2025. Holmleigh’s move to Abney was deemed sustainable in council reports.
How Is the Council Supporting Affected Communities?
Comprehensive transition aid was rolled out. Each closing school received £30,000, plus uniform grants, handbooks, workshops, mental health support, and admissions help. Siblings prioritised together; SEND children got personalised plans. Staff accessed training, pensions advice, and job support.
Mayor Woodley emphasised in the council’s repurposing announcement:
“Since the start of the primary school closures in 2024, we have been committed to repurposing all of the buildings in the Council’s control… rather than being sold off or sitting empty”.
Cllr Bramble highlighted funding pressures from pupil-based budgets.
What Challenges Do Proposals Face?
All non-education repurposing requires planning permission and government nod to alter use classes. Colvestone’s listing demands heritage safeguards. Financial viability is key, amid £28.5m primary funding shortfalls. BBC News on February 17, 2025, reported local bids for Colvestone as a creative hub by residents and groups.
SEND repurposing counters rising EHCPs locally and across London. Housing plans address frontline crisis but sparked Reddit worries over street character. Council strategy eyes long-term estate reconfiguration.
When Will Updates Come and What Lies Ahead?
Colvestone update expected later 2026; Baden Powell refurbishments mid-2026, opening 2027. Housing and Phase 2 proposals evolve, with community engagement ongoing. Healthy vacancy rates (5-10%) remain the goal, but trends persist.
As Hackney navigates demographic shifts, these repurposings aim to sustain public value. Mayor Woodley affirmed:
“We have a responsibility to ensure they continue to serve as valuable public assets that benefit our communities”.
