Parents in Richmond have expressed outrage at council proposals to close a primary school praised by inspectors for its inclusivity and the way it supports pupils.
Richmond Council has proposed permanently closing Kew Riverside Primary School at the end of the 2026/27 academic year because of low pupil numbers and rising operational costs.
Councillor Gareth Roberts, Richmond Council leader, said: “One of the main drivers for this proposal is that nearly 60% of the desks at Kew Riverside are sitting empty.
“The money is simply not coming in to run the school properly and this will become unsustainable over the long term.”
The school has capacity for 210 pupils, but currently has 87 and its three-year budget plan indicates a deficit of over £400,000 by the 2028/29 academic year.
Funding for the school is provided by the Department for Education and is largely based on pupil numbers. With lower pupil numbers, the school is having to use its reserve funds to keep their doors open.
News of the proposal was shared with parents shortly after the new term started in September, with many saying they felt blindsided by it.
Richard Newman, who has a son in year one, said the news has left him and his son Thomas in a state of shock. He added that if the school were to close it would affect him on a personal level.
He said: “As an older dad I’ve actually made new friends here because it’s such a tight knit community.
“It’s difficult for men to make friends these days as it is – the whole thing just feels unfair.”
Priscila Smith, who has a child in year three, said: “We came back from the summer holiday after a great Ofsted review, which commended how well the school supports pupils with SEND and then days later we were told about the school’s plans to close.
“We have all struggled to make sense of this.”
She said news of the proposed closure has been a shock to the entire community and left many pupils scared and confused about what will happen to their school.
Some parents claim Richmond council hasn’t considered the wider impact and disruption closing the school would cause.
One parent, Joelle Williams, said: “The proposals and forecasts the council have put forward are very shortsighted and limited.”
She said as a taxpayer she understands cuts need to be made, but feels the council hasn’t accounted for the number of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including her son.
She added: “Have they even thought about how many children with SEND they’ll be displacing?”
The council insists no decisions have been made, but some parents fear the closure is already a done deal.
Newman said: “The council say there’s a period of consultation, but it seems like they’ve already made their minds up.
“We live in Richmond, it’s one of the richest boroughs in the whole of England.
“If the council can’t afford to spend a bit of money to keep a good school open then that doesn’t seem to make sense.”
Cllr Roberts said: “It’s unfortunate that this is the perception people have, but I can confirm no decision has been made at this time.”
The council said pupils are guaranteed a place at Darell primary school nearby if Kew Riverside closes its doors, but Newman is also sceptical of this.
He said: “Darell primary school is less than half full. If this is to do with pupil numbers then they must be in an even bigger deficit than Kew Riverside.
“It feels like the council have been made to pick between two schools and are choosing to save Darell by boosting their pupil numbers up at the expense of Kew Riverside.”
Cllr Roberts said there is no truth to the claim Kew Riverside is being used to save another school in the area.
He said: “Every primary and secondary school in the Richmond-upon-Thames is rated as either good or outstanding, which is extraordinary for any London borough.”
Cecilia Webb is one of the parents at the school with children with SEND.
She said the school has created an environment where her twin daughters have been able to flourish and develop their confidence with the required educational support.
She said: “I know it could have been a lot worse for them. The school created a safe environment where they belong and there is nothing wrong with the challenges they have.”
Both her daughters will be entering secondary school in the new academic year, but Webb still wants other parents to benefit from the support the school has provided.
She added: “Just because this isn’t affecting me directly doesn’t mean I don’t want to fight for it on behalf of other parents.”
Smith and Newman are part of a group of parents who have banded together to work on an alternative proposal to present to the council to show how pupil number can increase and the school can improve its financial position.
Smith said she and other parents are not oblivious to the falling pupil numbers and understand decisions need to be made.
“We’re not asking the council to ignore the school’s projected financial problems. We understand the situation. We’re asking for them to give us more time to come up with an alternative solution,” said Smith.
Parents who work in legal and financial professions full-time are volunteering their time outside of work to develop a proposal to present to the council.
A website has been set up by the parents to raise awareness and an online petition to keep the school open has attracted over 200 signatures so far.
Smith said: “We want to be part of the solution but we can’t do that while prospective parents are hearing about the school potentially closing and deciding to send their children somewhere else.
“Our call to Richmond council is to stop the consultation and work with us.”
The full council proposal for Kew Riverside primary school can be found via the council website.
The proposal includes dedicated transition support for pupils with SEND, with leadership teams from both schools collaborating to protect curriculum stability.
The consultation period closed on October 16 and the council is expected to provide an update in mid-November.
Richmond Council said it is committed to hearing what the local community has to say about the proposal and wants to ensure the outcome is in the best interests of the children and their future education.
Featured image credit: Priscila Smith
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