Camden schools are facing an uncertain future as Camden Council is set to consult on four faith schools across the borough, with options ranging from reduced intakes to full closure.
The council’s Cabinet will vote on October 20 on whether to launch formal six-week public consultations on St Alban’s Church of England Primary School, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School and La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School.
The schools affected
- St Alban’s CE Primary School (Holborn) — options include reducing admission numbers, merging with another Camden primary, or closure
- St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School (Holborn) — options include reducing intake or complete closure
- St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School (Kentish Town) — options include lower admissions, merger, or closure
- La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School (Highgate) — options include reduced intake, federation with another secondary, ending Years 7–11 while keeping sixth form, or complete closure
Why now?
The council blames sustained demographic shifts: falling birth rates and families moving out of inner London as housing costs bite. The result is surplus places and growing budget deficits.
Each unfilled primary place represents around £7,500 in lost government funding per year; each empty secondary place around £9,700.
The numbers are stark. In January 2026, Camden had 1,312 reception pupils against 1,460 places — a 10.1% vacancy rate. At Year 7, just 1,209 pupils filled 1,585 places, a 23.7% vacancy rate. Council guidance says 5–10% surplus is healthy; the four faith schools sit far outside that range.
Projected deficits
Without intervention, the council projects:
- La Sainte Union: £6.476 million deficit by March 2029
- St Joseph’s: £731,000 deficit by 2029
- St Patrick’s: £712,000 deficit by 2029
- St Alban’s: modest £37,000 surplus by 2029, but severe under-subscription
Not about standards
Camden has stressed that the proposals are not a reflection of teaching quality, educational standards or staff performance. Councillor Marcus Boyland, Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families, said: “Initiating consultations on individual schools is difficult, but we must respond to the challenges facing schools across London.”
The October 20 vote is only on whether to consult — not on any closure. If approved, the consultation window runs from 9am on Monday, November 2 to 9am on Monday, December 14, 2026.
What happens next
After the consultation closes, the Cabinet will review responses in February 2027, with final decisions expected in April 2027. Any changes would take effect no earlier than September 2027.
For mergers, the council says pupils would be guaranteed places at receiving schools — though no receiving schools have been identified yet.
The wider picture
Camden’s schools are caught in a London-wide squeeze. Falling rolls have already forced school closures and mergers across the capital, as inner-London boroughs grapple with the same demographic arithmetic.
Faith schools face particular pressures. Many were founded to serve local Catholic and Anglican communities whose demographics have shifted over decades. When the local population changes but the school’s character stays fixed, the maths gets harder.
For parents at the four schools, the coming months will be anxious ones. A consultation is not a decision — but when closure is explicitly on the table, reassurance only goes so far.
The council will need to show it has genuinely listened. With final decisions not due until April 2027, families, staff and governors have time to make their case — and they will.
What makes this consultation particularly sensitive is the faith dimension. These are not just schools but parish institutions, woven into the religious and community life of their neighbourhoods. St Alban’s, St Joseph’s and St Patrick’s have served Catholic and Anglican families for generations; La Sainte Union is one of London’s well-known Catholic girls’ schools.
Closing or merging a faith school raises questions that go beyond pupil numbers — about the provision of faith-based education in the borough, and about what happens to the distinctive ethos these schools offer.
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