The £230m primary schools sell-off
Updated on 14 April 2008
Almost 300 primary school sites have been sold off in the past decade as local councils seek to raise funds, a More4 News/Channel 4 News online survey reveals.
The vast swathe of sales has generated £230m for authorities, while the research shows a further 188 primary schools sites are earmarked for future sale.
The stark figures highlight the huge upheaval in primary education during the past 10 years, as councils struggle to meet government funding demands and combat falling school rolls.
Critics say the sell-offs are a 'missed opportunity' to improve educational standards, and could leave authorities short of classrooms in the future.
Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the NUT, said: "The findings both surprise and depress me. At the moment we still have extremely large class sizes all over England and Wales, and because of these sell-offs we will find ourselves with insufficient classroom capacity further down the road.
"Whilst the pupil population might be decreasing at the moment this was the ideal opportunity to reduce class sizes and keep spending on education at the same level so that we can begin to fulfil Gordon Brown's promise that state school children will be funded to the same level as those in the independent sector."
'We still have extremely large class sizes all over England and Wales, and because of these sell-offs we will find ourselves with insufficient classroom capacity further down the road.'Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the NUT
Councils began their school reorganisation programmes after primary schools were found to have too many surplus places. Government funds schools according to how many places they have, rather than the actual number of pupils.
It urges authorities to close schools with too few children, as they are seen as an ineffective use of resources.
Falling classroom numbers were a reflection of a falling birth rate in the past decade, but migration means the UK's birth rate is now at a 26-year high - leading to fears pupil numbers will surge again.
The survey found that the council which received the most for primary school sales in the past decade was Oxfordshire, whose sell-off programme led to £39.8m being brought in from sales.
Others in the top 10 included: Hertfordshire at £25.6m, Cambridgeshire at £19.7, West Sussex at £15.8m, Havering at £15.4m and Leeds at £13.7m.
Councils pledge to put the money raised from primary school sales back into education funding, and many new schools and facilities have been built using the revenue.
However, professor Tony Travers, a local government expert at the London School of Economics, warned that pledges on education spending have to be taken with a pinch of salt.
He said: "You have to take councils at face value when they say they will be ring-fencing funds. But ring-fencing doesn't necessarily mean extra spending on education."
'You have to take councils at face value when they say they will be ring-fencing funds. But ring-fencing doesn't necessarily mean extra spending on education.'Professor Tony Travers, London School of Economics
Overall, 113 councils responded to questions filed by Channel 4 news online under Freedom of Information rules, to show that 298 primary school sites had been sold off in the past decade for a total of £236,337,577.
Over Easter, Cumbria County Council became the latest authority to indicate it was going to close primary schools under a reorganisation programme.
A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: "Government guidance issued last month clearly states that ministers expect local authorities to close schools with surplus places so that funds can be used to raise standards in more popular primary schools.
"It's a hard balancing act, but councils have a duty to provide value for money and the best education for children."
A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, said: "Schools can close for a number of reasons. The majority of primary schools that have closed since 1999 (almost 85 per cent) have done so as part of an amalgamation or reorganisation of local schools.
"In many cases a replacement school is established on the site of a closing school and will continue to serve local needs.
"It is the responsibility of local authorities to plan school provision for the future and make sure there are sufficient schools in their area offering a high quality education in a cost effective way.
'It's a hard balancing act, but councils have a duty to provide value for money and the best education for children.'Spokesman for the Local Government Association
"There are unprecedented levels of capital funding to support them and we know that many local authorities are taking this opportunity to reassess how they organise their schools, particularly where there are falling rolls."
However, professor Tony Travers, a local government expert at the London School of Economics, warned that pledges on education spending have to be taken with a pinch of salt.
He said: "You have to take councils at face value when they say they will be ring-fencing funds. But ring-fencing doesn't necessarily mean extra spending on education."
Overall, 113 councils responded to questions filed by Channel 4 news online under Freedom of Information rules, to show that 298 primary school sites had been sold off in the past decade for a total of £236,337,577.
Over Easter, Cumbria County Council became the latest authority to indicate it was going to close primary schools under a reorganisation programme.
A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: "Government guidance issued last month clearly states that ministers expect local authorities to close schools with surplus places so that funds can be used to raise standards in more popular primary schools.
"It's a hard balancing act, but councils have a duty to provide value for money and the best education for children."
A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, said: "Schools can close for a number of reasons. The majority of primary schools that have closed since 1999 (almost 85 per cent) have done so as part of an amalgamation or reorganisation of local schools.
"In many cases a replacement school is established on the site of a closing school and will continue to serve local needs.
"It is the responsibility of local authorities to plan school provision for the future and make sure there are sufficient schools in their area offering a high quality education in a cost effective way.
"There are unprecedented levels of capital funding to support them and we know that many local authorities are taking this opportunity to reassess how they organise their schools, particularly where there are falling rolls."
Tell us your story
Has your local primary school been sold-off? Your children moved? Or the school you used to attend closed down? How has it affected you? Email us at news@channel4.com with your story.
