Approximately one in six primary school positions in Hackney remained vacant during the autumn term, despite four institutions having closed, as the borough confronts shrinking pupil numbers.

A freedom of information disclosure shows that 18 percent of primary school positions across the area were empty as of November 2025, with close to 500 reception spots unoccupied.

The local authority shut four schools and merged two more in September 2025, which likely contributed to a modest improvement compared to earlier periods; reception vacancies stood at 21 percent in May 2024 but had fallen to 19 percent by November 2025.

These current figures nonetheless remain substantially higher than Hackney’s target range of five to ten percent.

The problem matters because central government allocates funding to schools according to pupil counts. Consequently, institutions with numerous empty spaces effectively operate with diminished budgets.

In an October press release, the council indicated that several schools had already communicated that this situation was compromising their capacity to fully assist their pupils.

Educational establishments throughout the nation have encountered declining enrolments in recent years, though the decline has been most acute in the capital. Research from the Institute for Government demonstrates that primary schools across London have shed the equivalent of 2,000 classes since the 2018-19 academic year.

The housing shortage, escalating cost of living, and the Covid-19 outbreak have all been cited as factors behind the decrease in families with young children in the capital.

Relative to the rest of London, Hackney has suffered one of the most significant reductions in primary school pupils, with only four other councils experiencing greater losses: Camden, Southwark, Lambeth, and Westminster.

The IFG report observed that as the demographic bulge progresses through the education system, primary schools have inevitably borne the initial impact of the decline.