We need your views on the future of school places across the borough

Hounslow Council is reviewing how many school places we’ll need over the next five years – and we want to hear from you.

Birth rates have been declining locally and nationally since 2013 leading to reduced pupil numbers. In Hounslow this has created a surplus of school places. Additionally, there is a noticeable gap between the number of children living in Hounslow and those attending Hounslow schools. We want to find out why some people choose to send their children to schools out of the borough.

We’re developing a new School Organisation Plan (SOP) for 2026 to 2030, which will guide how we manage school places in response to surplus school places. This includes decisions about how many places we should provide, where they’re needed most, and how surplus space in mainstream schools could be used – for example, to support special educational needs or community use.

Your feedback will help shape the principles and priorities that guide these decisions. It will inform the draft Plan, which will be presented to Cabinet in Spring 2026.

The consultation is open for 7 weeks, from 23 September to 7 November 2025.

What are we asking?

This consultation is your chance to shape the new School Organisation Plan. We’re asking for your views to help us understand:

• What’s important to you when choosing a school

• What barriers people face when accessing local education

• How schools could better support the communities they serve

• What principles should guide any changes to school organisation

• How can we plan differently for the future

Your feedback will inform the recommendations we take to the Council's Cabinet in Spring 2026 and will help ensure future decisions reflect local priorities, needs and concerns.

Why this matters

Every local authority is responsible for ensuring there are enough school places to meet demand — now and in the future.

To help with this, councils publish a School Organisation Plan (SOP) that sets out how they will manage pupil places over time.

The last SOP in Hounslow was published in 2011, at a time when pupil numbers were rising.

Since then, we’ve expanded schools, created new places, and worked closely with the education sector to respond to demand. But a lot has changed.

Across the country, birth rates have been falling since 2013 — and this is now impacting schools. National forecasts suggest pupil numbers will continue to drop in many areas over the coming years.

The graphs here show the local Hounslow situation over time, with a clear gap between the number of places in schools (primary and secondary) and the number of children attending, creating a surplus. The graphs also show our child population in Hounslow and identify the number of children living in Hounslow is higher than the number of children attending a Hounslow school.

The Department for Education and the National Audit Office recommend that local areas plan for a small surplus (around 5%) to give families choice, but not so much that schools become unsustainable.

The fall in pupil numbers in Hounslow has led to a growing number of surplus spaces, particularly in primary schools. The maps below show this, highlighting the movement of pupils across the border to schools in other Local Authority areas.

While this can mean more choice for families, it also creates real challenges.

All schools are funded per pupil. So, when numbers fall, budgets shrink. This affects schools’ ability to plan, staff, and offer the range of services and subjects children deserve.

Without a clear plan in place, we risk some schools becoming financially unviable, while others remain full or oversubscribed.

That’s why we’re developing a new School Organisation Plan (2026–2030) and we want your help to shape it.

We want to hear from

• Parents, carers and guardians (both those using Hounslow schools and those sending children outside the borough)

• School staff across all roles

• Hounslow residents and community members

• Education providers, voluntary and community sector organisations

• Children and young people

How Can You Get Involved?

Complete the consultation by 7 November 2025.

The consultation is open for 7 weeks, from 22 September to 7 November 2025.

Come and speak to us in person

We’re holding four drop-in events where you can meet the team, ask questions and share your views directly:

🗓 7 October
📍 Brentford Family Hub, North Road, Brentford, TW8 0BJ
🕠 5:30pm–7:00pm

🗓 14 October
📍 Lampton Family Hub, Neville Close, Hounslow, TW3 4JG
🕠 5:30pm–7:00pm

🗓 21 October
📍 Alf King Family Hub, 7 Hanworth Road, Feltham, TW13 5AF
🕠 5:30pm–7:00pm

🗓 4 November
📍 Beavers Children's Centre, 103 Salisbury Rd, Cranford, TW4 7NW
🕠 5:30pm–7:00pm

What happens next

All feedback from this consultation will be analysed and presented to the Council’s Cabinet in Spring 2026. The findings will inform final recommendations for how we plan and manage school places in Hounslow from 2026 to 2030.

About the survey

The survey takes about 6 minutes to complete.

Paper copies of all consultations and surveys are available in your local library.

If you need a paper copy, large print or Easy Read version or require a translation, please email engage@hounslow.gov.uk or call 020 8583 2000.