Gallions Mount Primary School in Plumstead parents shock

The authority agreed to launch a consultation earlier this month on closing Gallions Mount Primary School in Plumstead at the end of the current academic year, claiming it is facing a £1.2 million deficit by April 2026 due to falling pupil numbers.

Barry Scutts, 52, has an eight year old son at the school.

The local has lived in Plumstead his whole life and attended Gallions Mount himself as part of its first year group for the modern building.

The dad told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “This school started in 1977 and I started in that first year so if it does close, I’ll have been there when it started and he’ll be there when it’s closed.”

He added: “We didn’t really decide on any other schools. I said to my wife that I thought this school was the best option for him because of the community feel and everything that they do in the school.”

Mr Scutts said parents received a letter from the school on November 15, the day after Greenwich Council approved the decision to carry out a consultation on the school’s closure.

The letter, seen by the LDRS, said that declining pupil numbers were having significant financial implications for the school and the consultation on the closure was expected to launch the following week.

The dad said: “The message was just titled, ‘School Closure’. I saw that and I just said to my son, ‘Looks like you might have a day off,’ and as soon as I read it I was in shock really because it was sudden and the fact that we weren’t aware over the past few years of the situation that the school now finds itself in.”

He added: “I think what a lot of parents are concerned about is that it’s got to this state now where basically the school is closing.

"If we would have known maybe a year or two back then we could have maybe tried to do something, fundraising and things like that.”

The authority has stated that there are enough places in other primary schools in the borough to accommodate the pupils of Gallions Mount and all children would be supported to ensure a seamless transition.

However, Mr Scutts said the communication from Greenwich Council has been inadequate and no details of support for parents have been outlined yet.

Several parents are also worried about being able to transport their children to school elsewhere in the borough.

Rachel Ding, 40, has lived in Plumstead her whole life and has a seven year old son at Gallions Mount.

She told the LDRS: “I was just really shocked… [my son] is quite upset and he doesn’t want to leave. He doesn’t want to go to another school.”

She added: “Nobody has many answers. They just seem to not know anything.”

Council officers said in their report that Gallions Mount had 295 primary-aged pupils in January 2021, which had since decreased to 169 pupils at present.

Kirstin Rothe, 45, has lived in Plumstead for 10 years and has four children, three of which currently attend Gallions Mount.

Kirstin Rothe, 45, with her 14-month-old daughter Leonie

Ms Rothe told the LDRS: “I was shocked. Nobody saw this coming because the school obviously didn’t mention anything about this deficit. We knew that classes were getting smaller… But that’s the reason why we picked the school, because it’s small.”

She added: “There was no communication from the school or from the council or anything. I just wish they had told us earlier that they are in trouble and this is what could happen and then we could have all done this a lot earlier.”

The mum said parents were invited to a meeting with council representatives last week regarding the consultation, but that officers were unable to answer many of the questions raised.

She said many parents have already started taking their kids out of the school in anticipation of the final decision in March next year.

Ms Rothe said: “The youngest one just doesn’t understand, he just keeps asking, ‘Am I still going to the school on Monday?'”

Council documents said the proposal has been discussed with the head teacher and chair of governors for the school.

The mum said parents have tried to hold a fundraising event to help spread awareness of the closure but this was rejected by the school.

She has since started a petition to halt the closure, which has received over 500 signatures.

Ms Rothe said: “It’s a bit like David and Goliath, isn’t it? You just don’t know what to do and then you don’t really get much from the school either. So you don’t know if there is something they are not telling us.”

She added: “We don’t know what else to do and if the school doesn’t help, I think we’re fighting a losing battle.”

A Greenwich Council spokesperson told the LDRS: “The Royal Borough of Greenwich is committed to ensuring all children reach their full potential. This includes maintaining well-funded and well-staffed schools.”

They added: “We understand that the proposed closure of Gallions Mount Primary School may feel unsettling and we appreciate the feelings expressed by the school’s community.

"Proposals like this are never easy, but they are in the long term interest of our children. We ask that these concerns and suggestions are sent to us via the online consultation.”

Gallions Mount Primary School was approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.

The Department of Education (DfE) informed the LDRS that it was aware of the challenges schools were facing and that the National Funding Formula distributed funding based largely on pupil numbers.

The Government department plans to increase school funding by £2.3 billion for the next financial year.

The spokesperson added that the DfE works closely with local authorities such as Greenwich Council to review school place plans and consider alternatives where necessary.