La Sainte Union

NOTE: La Sainte Union school were repeatedly contacted for comment for this story, and declined to reply. Camden’s communications team were also contacted. The source of the story comes from Camden’s own scrutiny committee.

A SECONDARY school which has consistently been among the top-rated in Camden is half empty – after being hit by an unprecedented drop in admissions.

More than 500 school places at La Sainte Union Catholic School in Highgate Road, around 60 per cent of the traditional roll, are “unfilled”, according to council figures.

Just 52 pupils joined the school’s Year 7, enough for two forms, according to the most recent statistics. This contrasts with a target capacity of 120.

The trend of plummeting school admissions has already seen three primary schools in Camden close down, but now its collection of well-respected secondaries are down on numbers.

Camden’s empty classroom crisis is not just affecting LSU – the statistics discussed by councillors at a recent scrutiny meeting showed that William Ellis School’s Year 7 is 33 per cent unfilled.

UCL Academy, which is run outside of council control by its university sponsors, is 43 per cent empty compared with its target capacity.

The stark figures at LSU have emerged despite its enduring reputation as a good placeto enrol. It is rated “good” by Ofsted and has consistently achieved strong GCSE results over decades.

The school’s performance is not considered to be behind the drop-off – and more the changing nature of the borough and the lack of affordable housing in the area for families to settle down.

LSU gets its name from a historic congregation in France that wanted to embed Catholic values into an education system.

Councillors are keeping a close eye on the situation at all schools as government funding is based on pupil numbers. According to the council, one in five (18.7 per cent) of all Camden schools Year 7 places are unfilled – a major threat to school budgets.

Earlier this month the New Journal reported how the birth rate in Camden has been consistently falling by more than a third since 2012 – an issue that is bringing about a decision to shut the maternity department at the Royal Free Hospital.

Four primaries have closed in Camden since 2019, including St Dominic’s in Gospel Oak; Carlton Primary, also in Gospel Oak; St Michael’s in Camden and St Aloysius in Somers Town.

The trends were discussed by the cross-party schools scrutiny committee at the Town Hall earlier this month.

Its chair, Labour councillor Sylvia McNamara, told that session: “La Sainte Union has 71 per cent – the highest number – of unfilled places.”

It turned out the committee which exists to examine council policy and trends had been given the wrong information.

When questioned by the New Journal the council said the percentage for LSU quoted in the report was wrong, as its overall capacity had been reduced from 180 per year to 120.

Lib Dem leader Councillor Tom Simon told the meeting the compilation of school figures were “vague” and did not provide the committee with enough detail to consider the predicament facing the borough’s secondary schools.

Camden’s child poverty was discussed at length at last week’s full council meeting that included a report saying that Camden is “one of the most unequal places to grow up”.

Two in five children are living in poverty, according to the council. Meanwhile around one in three children are being sent to fee-paying private schools.

The council’s school’s chief, Councillor Marcus Boyland, said: “As with many other central London boroughs, Camden has experienced a significant drop in demand for school places. Our priority is to ensure our high-quality education offer continues for families, and this has involved making difficult decisions to reduce overall capacity.”

He added: “We are managing spare capacity by providing further space for special educational needs and early years services – which has included investing in enhanced SEND provision at La Sainte Union.

“We will continue to monitor pupil numbers and take necessary steps to ensure children and young people in Camden receive the best education and our schools are sustainable for the future.”

La Sainte Union and the governing body did not respond to requests for comment about its pupil numbers when questioned by the New Journal this week.