Pimlico South Labour Councillors have expressed concern following the announcement of a consultation on amalgamating Churchill Gardens Primary School with Millbank Primary School. The proposals put forward by Future Academies would see the Churchill Gardens site close. Labour councillors have concerns over the future of the Churchill Gardens site and how the school, which was recently graded as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, has reached this point. The school building itself is leased directly to Future Academies by the Department for Education. 

Pimlico South Councillor, Jason Williams, said:

“Residents are rightly worried about the future of the Churchill Gardens School. It’s important that Future Academies genuinely listens to the consultation. Should the proposals go through we want to make sure such an important local site is safeguarded for the public good not private benefit. We have called for and received a commitment that the building will remain in educational use and not be knocked down.” 

Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate for Cities of London & Westminster, Rachel Blake, said:

“This is another example of the government’s failure to fund schools properly, or to have any plan to deal with falling pupil numbers in inner London primary schools.  Local Councils should be given the power to manage an academies’ reduction of admission numbers or proposed closures, and there needs to be medium term support so make sure London doesn’t continue to see so many of its schools close their gates for good.”