A secondary school in Whitechapel has announced it will begin a phased closure as a result of dwindling pupil numbers, London Now reports.
Students and parents linked to Wapping High School on Commercial Road were informed of the closure yesterday (February 24).
The secondary school opened in 2012 as an intentionally "smaller than average school", providing education to more than 400 students, as reported by our sister title London Now.
The last of these pupils are now expected to leave the school in the summer of 2027, with around 115 students forecast to move school by September this year.
An estimated 43 members of Wapping High School's staff will also be starting a phased redundancy during this time.
Headteacher Tom Raw said: “Our results continue to be above national averages, and, crucially, our students are thriving in all walks of school life.
“However, the reality is that even though our aim has always been to be a small and close-knit community, we have reached a point where we are supporting around 50 per cent of the students who could come to this school.
"The reasons for this are complex, but are largely the result of a declining birth rate, and surplus places in other local schools. We are reaching the point where we will have around 40 children in an exam year group.
"We simply can’t deliver the breadth of the curriculum they want and need on such small numbers."
The headteacher admitted that there are "simply not enough children and too many school places in the local area" to support the continuation of the school, with outgoings expected to surpass funding.
The latest Ofsted inspection of Wapping High School saw it achieve a 'good' rating from the education watchdog, with personal development observed to be "outstanding".
Year 10 students studying for exams will continue towards their GCSEs at the school, with all other year groups departing at the end of the academic year.
It is understood that the decision for the phased closure of the school was made by the secretary of state and governors of Wapping High School.
A listening period where staff and pupils will be engaged in discussions surrounding the closure process will begin today (February 25), running for four weeks.
John Cheyne, chair of governors at Wapping High, said: “Not only are we launching a listening period as part of the process to understand how we can make this the best end possible for our brilliant staff and students, we are also entering into lots of discussions with the local authority and Department for Education about the support that can be put into place for them.
“We feel a keen responsibility to ensure that no stone is left unturned to make the last chapter of our school’s story one that reflects everything that is good about Wapping High School – care, community and raising aspirations.”
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