• IT is sad that excellent local primary schools have had to speak out about the threat to their futures caused by Abacus publicly, (Education chief: Old Hampstead police station is ‘not suitable’ for new school, July 9).

However, this is very much a last resort caused by Abacus’s failure to listen and understand the concerns of other schools. Other schools have attempted to discuss their concerns to Abacus behind the scenes for many years but have been met by belligerence and hostility.

There has been no attempt to work with other schools, no social or medical need nor alignment with Camden’s admissions policies, but this is the freedom attained by being a “free” school.

It has been claimed that Abacus’s catchment deliberately avoids impact on other state schools. Yet a simple map of Abacus’s catchment shows an irregular shape that leads right up to the social housing in front of Fleet Primary. It very clearly includes some of the areas that are within the area that Fleet children live.

If Abacus was truly invested in being an inclusive community school, it would adopt the Camden admissions policy with the distances being measured from St Peter’s Church in Belsize Park. But clearly it isn’t.

Camden has released figures showing demand on school places will fall by 530 places over the next three years (although this could rapidly be exacerbated by Brexit). The last figures Camden published (from 2018) showed multiple vacancies across schools – and even Abacus had 29 vacancies over five year groups!

All state schools are seeing funding cut by up to 25 per cent; teachers and teaching assistants are being laid off across the borough. And the understanding is that falling school rolls will mean that New End, Fitzjohn’s, Fleet and other local secular state schools will suffer further budget cuts.

Perhaps Abacus would finally like to sit down with the governors and parents of other schools and look to work together in partnership with other Camden schools addressing their fears and resolving catchment areas.

Yes, of course, Abacus holds dear the ability to be the only Camden school that can set its own catchment area; yes it has unparalleled subsidy and funding while other schools are financially running close to the bone; and yes, ultimately, it will cost other state schools funding and teachers.

But being openly dismissive of these fears is not a good look. Camden’s excellent community state schools deserve the protection and support from financial cutbacks that Abacus are enabling.

SAM COLLINS
Address supplied