London school with more than 300 years of history will close abruptly at the end of next term, leaving pupils scrabbling for places elsewhere.
Archbishop Tenison’s Secondary School in Oval will close at the end of the school year due to falling pupil numbers.
The “staggering” move has left parents with just months to find new school places for their children, and will cause major disruption for GCSE students who are half way through their courses.
It comes amid fears that London schools are being hit by a “significant and sustained” reduction in demand for places partly due to Brexit, a declining birth rate and the pandemic.
Archbishop Tenison’s, which is now part of the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education Multi-Academy Trust, has been in existence since 1685. Former pupils include footballer Carl Cort and former Labour MP Tony Banks.
The decision to close it was taken by the Multi-Academy Trust and the Department for Education, but Lambeth council is helping pupils to find new school places.
Councillor Matthew Bryant, Deputy Leader of the Lambeth Lib Dem Council Group, said: “This is a great loss as the school has been an important part of the local community for many years.
“It is staggering that the Diocesan Board of Education can give parents, carers and staff such short notice of the imminent closure.”
He added: “It is symptomatic of the fragmented nature of our school provision that the Board can take this decision, but Lambeth Council has to pick up the pieces. Right now, the priority must be to secure new schools for all the pupils.”
It is hoped that the current Year 10 pupils, who are half way through their GCSE courses, will be able to transfer as a group to a new school.
A spokesman for Lambeth council said: “The council will be working with the school to mitigate the effects of its closure to make sure students are offered a new school place in an Ofsted rated ‘good’ school and supported in their transition.
“We will be helping year 10 students move to local schools that can maximise their potential and minimise disruption for their GCSE and Key Stage 4 qualifications.
“Although the decision to close is not a Lambeth Council decision, we will continue to work with the SBDE Multi Academy Trust during the school’s period of engagement with the community and representatives from Lambeth will be meeting with parents at the school to support them moving forward.”
Latest figures show 29 out of the 32 London boroughs are expecting a drop in demand for places in Reception classes. There is also a forecast drop in demand for Year 7 places in secondary schools of 3.5 per cent between now and 2026. Lambeth is projected to be the worst hit area by the drop in demand for school places. It has launched an action plan to manage surplus places at all schools in the borough and is lobbying the government to provide better funding.
