Members of the Viking Primary School community are urging Ealing Council to reconsider plans that could see the Northolt school close and its pupils move to nearby Downe Manor Primary School.
The council is considering six options for the two schools because of falling pupil numbers and growing financial pressures. Its preferred option would see Viking close on 31 August 2027, with pupils still of primary-school age automatically transferring to Downe Manor for the start of the new academic year. Families would still be able to choose another school.
Both schools were rated “Good” at their most recent Ofsted inspections and are around half a mile apart.
In a letter signed by the Viking Primary School Community and seen by EALING.NEWS, the group said there were “important unanswered questions” about whether closing Viking was necessary and whether the proposed merger would deliver the benefits being claimed.
The letter said: “Viking Primary School is not simply a number in a school-capacity calculation. It is a thriving community school that has served generations of local families.”
It added: “We accept that Ealing must address falling pupil numbers and financial pressures. But closing a financially stable, established community school should only happen where there is compelling evidence that it is necessary and that the proposed alternative will genuinely deliver the intended benefits.”
Chloe, whose children and grandchildren have attended Viking and who is a spokesperson for the school community, told EALING.NEWS that members are planning to hold a demonstration on 22 September 2026.
On the same day, Councillor Blerina Hashani, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for a fairer start, is due to decide whether the proposals should go out to public consultation.
No decision has yet been made on the future of either school. If approved, the consultation would run from 5 October to 13 November 2026.
Cabinet would then consider the consultation findings in December 2026. If the proposal progresses, a final decision on whether to close Viking is scheduled for 24 March 2027.
According to the council, the number of children entering Reception across Ealing has fallen by 20% since its peak in 2014/15, from 4,630 to 3,712 in 2025/26.
The decline has been greater in the part of Northolt served by the two schools, where Reception numbers have fallen by 39%, from 285 to 175.
The report, written by Tamara Quinn, Ealing Council’s assistant director for planning, resources and service development, sets out the six options being considered.
These include making no changes, closing either school without a merger, merging them on the Viking site or retaining the Viking name as an expanded school based at Downe Manor.
Its preferred option, identified as option B, is to close Viking and merge it with Downe Manor on the Downe Manor site.
Explaining the choice, the report says: “A single school offering up to 60 places a year is educationally and financially more resilient than two schools offering 30 places a year, especially when one of those schools is in a building capable of housing two classes per year.”
It also says Downe Manor’s buildings are in better condition, all Viking pupils could be accommodated there and the proposal would retain enough places to meet forecast demand.
Downe Manor has 208 pupils but space for 420, leaving half of its physical capacity unused. It recorded annual deficits of £178,000, £343,000 and £285,000 over the past three financial years, partly because of fixed costs attached to its Private Finance Initiative building.
Viking has 192 pupils and remained in cumulative surplus at the end of 2025/26, but is forecast to begin recording annual deficits from 2026/27. Its ageing building has been given an overall condition rating of L on a Department for Education scale running from A, the best, to M, the worst.
The Viking community has asked the council why the school was selected, how many families it expects to accept places at Downe Manor and how the financial case would change if pupils moved elsewhere.
It has also called for details of how recent drainage work at Viking and Downe Manor’s PFI commitments were taken into account when the options were compared.
The council’s initial equality assessment says moving schools could cause anxiety and disrupt pupils’ routines, friendships and journeys. It says children with special educational needs or Education, Health and Care Plans may require individual transition support.
Viking employees would be placed at risk of redundancy and, while they would be supported to find new roles, the report warns that “some redundancies may occur”.
Acknowledging the possible impact, the council report says: “We know that our schools have close ties to the local area and communities, sometimes over many generations. This makes a decision to consult very difficult.”
Councillor Hashani said: “Our schools are at the heart of their communities and I know people will have strong views about any potential changes.
“If consultation does take place, I would encourage parents, staff, governors, residents and pupils to take part and help shape the next stage of the conversation.”
