Leaked email shows William Hogarth Primary School is being considered for closure

William Hogarth School

Leaked email names William Hogarth School as one of two primary schools in LB Hounslow slated for closure

A row has broken out within Hounslow Council over its intentions for dealing with the financial impact of falling school rolls over the next few years.

State schools are paid for by the Department for Education according to the number of students they have. The birth rate is falling and this is now impacting schools, so fewer school places are needed.

There are 3,815 more school places across the borough than are currently being used in schools maintained by the Council – 2,880 in primary schools, 897 in secondary and 38 in ‘all through’ schools (3- 18).

Cllr Max Mosley, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources

The money is administered by local councils. Cabinet Member for Finance Max Mosley told The Chiswick Calendar on Tuesday that unless the Council took action Hounslow schools would be in deficit to the tune of £19m by 2029.

READ ALSO: Teachers braced for briefing on impact of falling school rolls on Hounslow

Figures for the last financial year show 22 out of 50 maintained schools in the borough were now in deficit.

At a meeting of the Schools Forum last November it was noted that: ‘Almost all schools had unaffordable staffing models’.

Cllr Mosley told us they intended to launch a year-long consultation on school reorganisation in September and there would be a briefing for teachers about it on Thursday.

Cabinet presented with a ‘predetermined decision’

Cllr Sue Sampson, (Isleworth), Cabinet Member for Housing

On Tuesday night John Dale of Brentford Today published a leaked email from Isleworth Cllr Sue Sampson saying that during Cabinet Political discussions that evening Members had been presented with ‘a predetermined decision that both Ivybridge and Hogarth will be closing’.

Ivybridge Primary School is in Cllr Sampson’s ward while ‘Hogarth’ refers to William Hogarth School in Chiswick.

The email, addressed to Council Leader Shantanu Rajawat, put on record her formal objection to the Schools Organisational Plan as presented.

‘The process has lacked transparency, meaningful engagement, and due consideration of the evidence provided. I request that these concerns be formally recorded and addressed before any further decisions are taken’, she wrote.

Cllr Shantanu Rajawat, Council Leader

No changes in the next two academic years

Council Leader Shantanu Rajawat has since said they ‘would not be taking forward proposals around school’s organisation in the 27/28 academic year’.

Instead they would be ‘using this time for further conversations with schools and the wider community’, which is not a denial that these two schools have been singled out for closure.

William Hogarth a ‘Good’ school

William Hogarth School was rated ‘Good’ in its last Ofsted inspection in 2023 and ‘Outstanding’ for the way in which it encouraged children’s personal development.

Head teacher Avril Stockley told The Chiswick Calendar the school currently has an occupancy rate of 71% and has a waiting list for two classes.

Last September there were 82 applications for 30 reception places.

The Chiswick Calendar understands there are other schools in the borough that have lower occupancy rates.

William Hogarth School

“An insult to our community”

The three Chiswick councillors who represent the ward William Hogarth School is in have issued a joint statement saying they were “absolutely appalled” at the way this had come out.

Cllr Vickram Grewal, Cllr Joanna Biddolph, Cllr Ron Mushisho

Conservative councillors Joanna Biddolph, Vickram Grewal and Ron Mushisho said the way it had been handled was: “an insult to our community”.

What is particularly puzzling is that the Schools Organisational Plan divides Hounslow into five areas and while all have surplus school places, Isleworth and Brentford and Chiswick have the lowest number, so by that metric should be the least likely to be targeted for closure.

Table showing surplus school places in Hounslow; School Organisation Plan 2026

Too many Hounslow children being educated in other boroughs

Apart from the falling birth rate a particular problem for Hounslow is the number of children who go to schools outside the borough.

Presenting the Hounslow School Organisation Plan 2026-30 to Cabinet in March, Member for Education Cllr Samia Chaudhary told colleagues:

‘Parents are increasingly making choices for

their children to attend schools in neighbouring Local Authority areas, into the

independent sector and selective schools’.

Primary school cross-border movement

Secondary school cross-border movement