Soho Parish Primary School [www.sohoparish.co.uk/home]

A POTENTIAL merger of the last school in Soho with another based in Fitzrovia is off after governors from the second shot down the move.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed last week how leaked plans indicated Soho Parish and All Souls primary schools may be combined due to falling pupil rolls.

The discussions between the two schools were at an early stage, with both sets of governors having to agree to proceed ahead of a public consultation which was to be launched early this month.

A letter sent by John Ong, Soho Parish’s chair of governors, to parents and carers on June 3, however, revealed that while the school was keen to continue the conversation, All Souls was not.

In his letter Mr Ong noted the financial implications of the school’s falling pupil roll. Fewer pupils means less government funding, and Soho Parish has experienced a significant drop in numbers in recent years.

The school recorded 81 pupils on roll as of April, leaving 94 places vacant. This is projected to be lower by September when it is expected to record 107 vacant places.

“While the option of amalgamation is no longer under consideration, the need for something significant to happen remains,” Mr Ong wrote.

“Our falling roll means that our revenue reserves deficit continues to grow, and we now have a budget shortfall of over £300,000 each year.”

The school is managing its finances “as prudently as possible”, he wrote, and it continues to receive support with its fundraising from Westminster City Council.

“However, we are funded on a per-pupil basis. Every child has around £50,000 worth of funding for their time in our school, so the impact of the constantly dropping roll is very significant. For context, we used to have more than 100 pupils but soon we will have around 65. Furthermore, predictions are that numbers will drop further in the coming years.”

He wrote that while all options are being explored the focus is on ensuring the children continue to get the best possible education.

Mr Ong also noted the LDRS reporting on the leaked documents, and wrote: “When we have viable options to share with our community, we will ensure that there is full and proper consultation.

“However, as we have seen with the impact of the recently leaked document, we don’t want to cause undue upset, concern and damage for something that was never going to progress past the point of discussion, irrespective of the leak or not.”

All Souls was approached for comment.

A separate revelation unearthed in confidential draft minutes from a Soho Parish meeting in February, and shared with the LDRS, is that the site was earmarked potentially to become a special needs facility following an amalgamation.

The minutes noted that serious consideration was being given to a potential merger or closure of the school due to financial and enrolment issues.

One section read: “Exploring the possibility of the current site becoming a special needs satellite site after amalgamation”, with a separate entry adding: “The site could potentially expand special needs provision by converting existing facilities.”

The LDRS raised this point in an email to Soho Parish and the city council but did not receive a response clarifying if the option was seriously considered.

A city spokesperson said: “The council is aware that governors at Soho Parish and All Souls had been considering, but decided against, amalgamation.

“The council respects the decision of governors. We will continue to work with both schools to secure the best possible outcome for pupils.”

The LDRS has covered the amalgamations of several Westminster schools in recent years, including Barrow Hill Junior School, Robinsfield Infant School and George Eliot Primary School in St John’s Wood.

Press Association analysis of new Department for Education data has revealed Westminster to have experienced a 26.3 per cent drop in pupils at state-funded primary schools from January 2020 to January 2026. the largest reduction in the country.