Parents are campaigning to stop Richmond Council from closing Kew Riverside Primary School next summer, arguing the move would be a "big mistake" and would "rip the heart out of our community". The council says falling pupil numbers and a projected budget shortfall of more than £400,000 by 2028/29 leave the school's future financially unsustainable.
Parents submit alternative proposals
Richmond Council is proposing to close the 210-capacity school because pupil numbers have dropped to 87, with families moving out of the area and numbers predicted to fall further over the next five years. The council said that while the school is not currently in deficit, it faces the budget shortfall despite reducing staffing and other costs.
Parents have submitted multiple alternative proposals they say are financially viable to keep the school open and are urging the council to give them time to pursue these. Priscila Smith, who has a son in year three, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that parents wanted to "preserve the community - we want a school, we don't want a building".
She said: "We have schools in the area that they want to push us to that have academic results that are lower than ours. They want us to lose a community that's working, a school that works."
Ofsted praised the school in September
In a report published in September, following an inspection in July, Ofsted praised Kew Riverside staff for making sure pupils' wellbeing and other needs were well met. Inspectors found children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those known to social care were supported well, with disadvantaged students benefitting from thoughtful use of extra funding.
Parents said the school was "highly inclusive" and irreplaceable, with no suitable alternatives able to support pupils as well. Stephanie Oakes, whose son is in year five, raised concerns about disruption for pupils preparing for secondary school, saying he had made huge progress since joining after missing nursery during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Stephanie said: "It's hard enough to go to high school as it is, but you want to rip them from their last year with their friends and their teachers and their peers that they've grown up with. I say it's not a school, it's a community - it's a family."
Families moved to Kew for the school
Several families told the LDRS they had moved to Kew specifically to send their children to the school. Esra Soydan said her family moved to Kew so her daughter, who has sensory processing difficulties, could attend, describing the school as "one of a kind".
Richard Newman, whose son is in year one, said the council was putting his son's future "in jeopardy" and called the proposals a "disaster" for the community. Marie, who has children in years four and six, said: "I think it will hurt the neighbourhood if this school closes, Kew Riverside, people will move."
Caroline Gagliardi, chair of the school's parent teacher association, was among parents who moved to Kew for the school. She said: "I love this school a lot. My children love this school. They know everybody. They are super happy."
Council to consider proposals in November
The council will confirm whether it plans to proceed with closure in November, after considering alternative proposals submitted during its initial consultation, which ended on October 16. If it decides to move ahead, a final decision will be made in April.
A Richmond Council spokesperson told the LDRS: "We know the proposed closure of Kew Riverside Primary School is upsetting for families who value its close-knit community. We take parents' concerns about friendships, continuity of education and support seriously, particularly for children with SEND. All views, evidence and alternative proposals submitted through the consultation will be carefully considered."
The spokesperson added that the council is waiting for the school's governing body to confirm it endorses the parents' proposals, as it would be responsible for delivering any school-led plan. Should the closure move forward, pupils will be guaranteed a place at Darell Primary School if their parents wish to take it.
