Croydon Council is considering plans to convert empty classrooms in mainstream secondary schools into specialist facilities for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The potential strategy comes as some Croydon schools grapple with a sharp drops in pupil numbers alongside an unprecedented demand for SEND support across the borough.
Croydon’s chair of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee has now called for the findings of a recent consultation with school leaders to be shared more clearly with residents, given the potential impact a restructure could have on local education.
The scale of the issue facing the council is reflected in its own figures, which show that 22 per cent of secondary school places across Croydon went unfilled last academic year.
Declining birth rates and changing demographics have also left several buildings with excess space that local authority officials now hope to put to far better use.
The council hopes to address these interconnected pressures through its proposed borough-wide School Organisation Plan. It has suggested repurposing surplus classroom space to provide specialist provision for children with SEND as one option under the plan.
This proposal was listed alongside four others in a recent consultation with local school leaders that closed on September 25.
The other proposals included lowering Published Admission Numbers (PANS) for excess capacity schools, merging under-occupied institutions, and establishing formal federations between neighbouring academies.
Through the consultation, the council hoped to gain insight from school leaders on current and future school place provision and gauge opinion on possible school reorganisation and planning. The consultation was intended only for headteachers, governing bodies, Multi-Academy Trusts, Diocesan education boards, and strategic partners.
However, the apparent lack of public awareness around the strategy and its potential impact on local education has prompted calls for greater transparency from the council.
Croydon’s Chair of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee, Councillor Amy Foster, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) how she felt the council should be up front with local residents about the challenges facing the borough.
“We know that falling school rolls are a national challenge,” Foster told the LDRS regarding the recent demographic shift.
She also highlighted the particular impact of falling pupil numbers in north Croydon, warning that unfilled places can place significant financial pressure on school budgets.
She also warned that if schools are forced to close because of falling pupil numbers, the financial burden would ultimately fall on the council. “This highlights the need for a well-managed and carefully coordinated plan to address these risks,” she added.
However, Foster also expressed reservations about how the initial engagement exercise was conducted with local residents. “I am concerned that this initial consultation has not been sufficiently visible and that residents currently lack clarity about how and when they will have the opportunity to share their views,” she said.
“Difficult decisions may need to be made in the years ahead,” Foster noted, adding that choices must be evidence-based, transparent, and informed by meaningful engagement with residents.
Foster also raised concerns about how the council would manage the area’s large number of Multi-Academy Trusts as part of its plans, and suggested their differing leadership structures could present challenges.
Croydon Council does not currently run any secondary schools in the borough, however it does run a larger number of maintained primary and nursery schools.
`Foster has now called on the council to publish a clear timetable setting out when the survey findings will be reported, how the next phase of consultation will be conducted, and when any proposed changes could be implemented.
Responding to the concerns, the council said no decisions had yet been made on immediate closures or structural changes following the consultation. It added that further public engagement would take place before any specific school is affected.
“Any future proposals affecting specific schools, such as PANS changes, amalgamations, repurposing of accommodation or SEND expansion, will be subject to further engagement and, where required, formal consultation and statutory processes,” a council spokesperson told the LDRS.
They added: “We recognise that partners want greater clarity on the impact on individual schools and on how change would be delivered. The consultation sought views on the challenges facing the borough and the principles that should guide future planning.”
The council has also committed to continue working closely with governing bodies and trusts to protect school sustainability and secure positive outcomes for young people.
