One parent said Soho Parish Church of England primary school in Great Windmill Street, London, offered the last vestige of ‘normal family life’ in the area. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian View image in fullscreen One parent said Soho Parish Church of England primary school in Great Windmill Street, London, offered the last vestige of ‘normal family life’ in the area. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian Schools ‘Without this it’s all just tourists’: the fight to save Soho’s last primary school Falling pupil numbers have left ‘unique’ London school facing an uncertain future, but its supporters have ambitious plans
Prefer the Guardian on Google S andwiched between a strip club, a West End theatre and a pub might not be the most obvious location for a school but Soho Parish C of E primary has thrived for decades among the colourful charms of inner London .
But in an area that once had 16 schools, Soho Parish is the last remaining and its time may soon be up, a victim of the post-Covid downturn and falling pupil numbers that are forecast to close hundreds of primary schools across England.
Parents waiting to collect their children on Great Windmill Street in the fierce heat this week said they had been left in the dark about the site’s fate by the school and Westminster council. Some said they feared its closure would snuff out the last remnant of what one called “normal family life” within Soho.
Read more “Without this school it’s all just tourists, isn’t it?” said one, gesturing at the long queue outside an artisanal gelato shop across the street.
The school received a temporary reprieve last month, when the governing body announced an end to plans to “amalgamate” Soho Parish with another Church of England school nearly a mile away in Fitzrovia.
Parents who spoke to the Guardian praised the school, saying it made good use of the rich seam of nearby museums and theatres. But with Westminster council working on a consultant’s report on the future of schools in the borough, many said they were worried.
“The problem is that people around here aren’t having children. There’s actually council housing hidden here and there but there’s nothing much for families. It’s mainly old people and single people. That’s up to the council,” one said.
One couple, who asked not to be named, said their son had started in nursery class and hoped he would have been able to stay on. But they said they feared teachers would leave because of the uncertainty, and were now thinking about moving to find affordable childcare.
A spokesperson for the school said: “Soho Parish C of E primary school is a unique school – but the challenges we face are not unique.
“Our falling roll means that our revenue reserves deficit continues to grow. The reality is that we had close to 180 children before Covid, and next September we will be welcoming close to 65 children. Given that schools are funded on a per pupil basis, we are having to look at all options to explore how to support the school to continue to thrive.
“We are already working closely with the council and look forward to engaging with their Isos [consultancy report] process moving forward.”
But while Soho Parish may not be attracting enough pupils, it does have many supporters among local businesses, with parents and former pupils raising prodigious amounts of money and fighting to keep the school open.
View image in fullscreen Soho Parish primary has many supporters among the local business commun…