The Education and Local Economy Scrutiny Commission met on 7 July 2025 to discuss pupil place planning, updates from traders at East Street Market, and the commission's proposed work programme for 2025-26. The meeting was scheduled to take place at 160 Tooley Street, London.

Here's a summary of the topics that were included in the report pack for discussion.

Pupil Place Planning and Secondary School Admissions

The commission was scheduled to discuss a report explaining the effects of a reduction in primary pupil numbers on secondary school rolls and admissions.

The report pack noted that there are currently 20 secondary schools in Southwark, 18 of which are academies funded directly by the Department for Education (DfE). It also noted a reduction in secondary school numbers across the capital, and a significant decrease in primary school rolls since 2016.

The report pack stated that logic would suggest that a decrease in primary school rolls would lead to a decrease in secondary school numbers, but that the situation is more complex than it appears, because approximately 30% of secondary pupils in Southwark come from outside the borough, compared to only 9% of primary pupils.

The report pack stated that pupil roll projections show a continued reduction in both primary and secondary school numbers until at least the end of the decade. It also stated that the increasing popularity of Southwark's secondary schools, most of which are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, may explain the level of demand from pupils outside the borough.

The report pack noted that South Bank University Academy has applied to close its year 7 entry for 2025/26, and that Harris Peckham Academy has reduced its intake from 180 to 120 for the current academic year.

The report pack concluded that a reduction in secondary capacity is likely, and that Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) sponsors may decide to reduce the size of, merge, or close schools to make the most effective use of resources.

East Street Market Traders

The commission was scheduled to hear from traders from East Street Market about improvements that have been made, those in progress, and any concerns or issues that the council could help with.

Proposed Work Programmes 2025-26

The commission was scheduled to consider and propose topics for review in 2025-26. The following items were proposed by members of Southwark Council at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) meeting on 23 June 2025:

• Refresh of Procurement Framework to support Southwark 2030 and approval of new Social Value Framework
• SEND¹ and school leavers
• Management of commercial leases including rent, repairs and marketing
• Impact of removal of short-stay parking on small businesses, markets and town centres
• Review of the council's community wealth building work including local procurement
• Youth Parliament