The secondary has said it may shut as soon as August 2027 amid “sustained reductions in intake” which has contributed to a fall in funding, reports Marco Marcelline
The Lammas School has announced a consultation on proposals that could see the Leyton secondary close by August 2027, with the school citing financial pressures related to long‑term declines in pupil numbers.
According to the school, falling rolls across Waltham Forest have created “sustained reductions in intake” that directly affect government funding, which is allocated on a per‑pupil basis. The school adds this has made it “increasingly difficult to maintain staffing levels, curriculum breadth and wider provision”.
Announcing the consultation via their website, Lammas School told parents and carers: “[We have] experienced a significant reduction in pupil numbers in recent years. Since 2021, Year Seven admissions have reduced from 141 to 51 in 2025. Current local authority data indicates that admissions for September 2026 are expected to remain below 60 pupils.”
The borough’s demographic shifts, including lower birth rates since the early 2010s, rising housing costs and families moving to outer London, are highlighted in the Lammas consultation notice as key factors behind falling demand for places.
The Griffin Schools Trust, which runs Lammas, says it has already taken steps to respond to falling numbers, “including financial planning, staffing adjustments, collaboration across its schools and changes to post‑16 provision”. It also “explored partnerships and merger options” before launching the consultation.
No final decision has yet been made regarding the future of Lammas. If the closure proposal proceeds, the school says it would adopt a phased approach. This would mean that current Year Six pupils due to join Lammas, and current Year Nine pupils would transfer to other schools from September this year.
Meanwhile, current Year Seven and Year Eight pupils would move in September 2027, while current Year Ten pupils would remain at Lammas to complete their GCSEs with “full pastoral and academic support”.
As previously reported by the Echo, schools across the borough are struggling with declining pupil numbers, rising costs and growing deficits.
In Waltham Forest, the number of Year Seven pupils fell 5.38% last year, while nursery pupil numbers have dropped 27% over the past decade. Several primary schools have already reduced their Published Admission Numbers (PAN) to remain viable, and around 90 schools across London have closed or merged in the last five years.
London Councils forecasts a 3.8% fall in Year Seven places in the capital and 2.5% fall in reception places between 2025/26 and 2029/30, with around £45million in lost funding for London schools as a result.
The challenges at Lammas come just weeks after teachers at Henry Maynard Primary School staged a three‑week strike over proposed redundancies linked to a £500,000 budget deficit, caused by a shortfall of 137 pupils.
A recent council report also warned that children’s services are “hugely costly” and that schools are “increasingly struggling to achieve a balanced budget” as rolls fall. Rising SEND costs and transport pressures are adding further strain.
There are 44 maintained schools in the borough, of which 19 ended the 2024/2025 financial year with shortfalls totalling £3.2m.
According to Waltham Forest Council, current forecast closing balances for 2025/2026 show an even starker position, totalling a potential £7.3m shortfall.
Some schools have only filled places up to 26% of their full capacity, while 13% of reception class spaces in the borough are empty. This has resulted in a reduction of over £2m of central government funding for schools in Waltham Forest, the council has stated.
In a bid to temporarily manage their deficits, several schools have requested council support through “consolidated cash advances”, essentially interest-free loans that must be repaid in three years.
As industrial action took place at a wave of various Waltham Forest schools struggling with budget deficits, Daniel Kebede, the NEU general secretary, told the Guardian: “The problem is, across London at the moment, we’ve got this perfect storm of record low birth rate [and] gentrification meaning that families can’t afford to live in the city any more, which means pupil numbers are declining significantly.
“If you look across London, we have an awful lot of industrial action and it is all relating to restructures and redundancies.”
Parents, carers, staff and other stakeholders can share their views until Tuesday, 7th July via the online consultation questionnaire, with further details and meeting dates set out in the school’s consultation document
Are you a parent, carer, or staff member affected by this potential closure? Get in touch: [email protected]
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