The Kensington and Chelsea Council Leadership Team were scheduled to meet on Wednesday, 10 September 2025. The agenda included a 72 seconds' silence to remember those who lost their lives in the Grenfell tragedy. The main item scheduled for discussion was the future of St Cuthbert with St Matthias Church of England Primary School.

Future of St Cuthbert with St Matthias Church of England Primary School

The Leadership Team were scheduled to consider a report regarding the proposed closure of St Cuthbert with St Matthias Church of England Primary School on 31 October 2025.

The report noted that the school's governing body had conducted a six-week consultation on the closure proposal, after which the council issued a statutory notice on 17 June 2025, followed by a four-week representation period. The Leadership Team were scheduled to review the submissions from the representation period.

The report recommended that the Leadership Team:

close St Cuthbert with St Matthias Church of England Primary School on 31st October 2025 with the implementation of the closure and transition arrangements for the pupils will be led by the school with support from the Council and the Diocese.

Reasons for the proposed closure included the school's low pupil numbers, with a surplus capacity of 60%, and a deficit of over £300,000. The report stated that there was no predicted demand for the school in the medium to long term, and that there were sufficient surplus places in other local schools to accommodate the displaced pupils. According to the report, there are 14 primary schools within a one-mile radius of St Cuthbert with St Matthias Church of England Primary School that have vacancies.

The report also noted that demand for school places was falling due to falling birth rates and families moving out of the borough. Pupil projections from summer 2024 indicated that the number of pupils on roll in Kensington and Chelsea primary schools would fall by 9.5% by 2028/9.

The report stated that the governors of St Cuthbert with St Matthias Church of England Primary School, the Director of Education from the London Diocesan Board for Schools (LDBS), and the council had considered amalgamating with another Church of England school, but this option was not viable.

The report stated that if the school were to close, planning permissions for the site stipulate that it is for educational and community use only. The council-run children's centre, which currently operates from the site under a lease with the school's governing body, would continue to operate on the site under a lease from the Diocese if the school closes.

The report summarised the consultation and community engagement undertaken, including meetings with parents, carers, and staff, and the submission of three petitions against the closure. Eleven representations were received by the council in response to the statutory notice.

The report also outlined the legal, safety, financial, environmental, equalities, and human resources implications of the proposed closure.

Council Response to Representation

The report included a section summarising and responding to key concerns raised during the representation period.

One concern raised was that the Earl's Court Development would generate an increased demand for primary school places. The council responded that the development would be phased over 15-20 years, and that there was currently surplus capacity of 18% across all Kensington and Chelsea primary schools.

Another concern was that the council had predetermined the closure of the school. The council refuted this, stating that it had followed the statutory process for closing a school and considered all stakeholders' views.

Concerns were also raised about the school's financial position. The council provided figures showing that the school had moved from a surplus of £169,689 in 2022/23 to an estimated deficit of £460,000 in 2025/26.

The council also addressed concerns about the possibility of using the school for special educational needs (SEND) provision, stating that there were alternative local provisions available for the seven SEND children at the school, and that any decision on the future use of the site would be for the Diocese.

In response to offers of fundraising, the council stated that even if a donation were to eliminate the current deficit, it would not resolve concerns regarding the school's long-term financial sustainability.

The council concluded that it had a statutory responsibility to address excess surplus capacity and ensure the financial viability of its maintained schools, and that it was not feasible to leave the school open indefinitely.

Appendices

The report included the following appendices:

• Statutory Proposal Notice
• Governor Led Consultation and Frequently Asked Questions
• Equality Impact Assessment
• Safety Impact Assessment
• Summary of Representation Made to Statutory Notice Proposal