As my one of my old primary schools – St Stephens Primary, Westbourne Park Rd (next door to the Cow pub)  – closes, it reflects on the families no longer prepared to bring up children in Central London locations like Bayswater. 

​​According to London Councils, there is a predicted 7.6% decrease in reception pupil numbers across London from 2022-23 to 2026-27 which translates to a decline of 96,424 to 89,121 pupils over this period. 

London’s birth rate is the main reason for the decrease in demand for school places. However, there are other factors at play which are also affected the number of applications as boroughs are also experiencing shifts in their local child population as a result of families leaving London during the Covid-19 pandemic and following Brexit. Let us hope we don’t see other primary schools closing in the City of Westminster.