The Future of La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School

Overview

Consulting on the future of La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School

Camden is an amazing place to learn and we’re proud of our exceptional schools and staff who work hard every day to give children the best education. We want every Camden child to have a local school place that is suitable for their needs to give them the best sustainable environment to learn, make friends and thrive. 

Schools in Camden and across London are under increasing financial pressure. Falling birth rates and families moving out of London means that there are fewer children to take up school places, leading to falling pupil numbers and schools with surplus places. Every empty space means primary schools lose an average of £7,500 of vital Government funding per year and secondary schools lose an average of £9,700 per year. 

As a council, we have a duty to ensure that there are sufficient, high-quality and sustainable school places and to manage these school places efficiently. With falling pupil numbers, we need to manage this working closely with schools. 

Over the past year as part of our School Sufficiency Programme, we have been working closely with schools that have been particularly affected by these issues to support them to respond to these challenges.  

Despite everyone’s commitment, La Sainte Union is one of four schools that continues to face the most acute and sustained pressures – including high pupil vacancies and increasing financial pressure. 

We know this is difficult to hear but we need to act now to prevent the situation from getting worse and to protect our strong local education offer for all children across the borough now and in the future.  

Have your say and take part in the consultation by 9am on 14 December 2026 

The consultation will be open from 9am on 2 November 2026 to 9am on 14 December 2026. There are several ways to have your say: 

• Anyone can complete this online consultation.  

• To get a paper copy, email lasainteunionconsultation@camden.gov.uk

• To get a consultation booklet in EasyRead or other languages, email lasainteunionconsultation@camden.gov.uk 

There will also be online and in-person sessions for parents and carers of children at the school to find out more and have your say. We will share more information about this directly. 

You will be consulted on the following options and invited to share or identify additional options.  

• Offering fewer places by reducing the school’s Published Admission Number (PAN). 

• Federating La Sainte Union with another secondary school, which means sharing a governing body with at least one other school. 

• Closing the school’s provision for Years 7 to 11 only AND keeping and reconfiguring post-16 provision (Years 12 to 13/14).  

• Full closure of the school Years 7 to 13/14.  

Before you respond to the consultation, we strongly encourage you to read the consultation pack, which explains the school data and each of the options in more detail.  

During the consultation, we will gather evidence about the impacts of each option for each school. This evidence will be outlined in a report and used to inform our proposed next steps, which Cabinet members will decide on in February 2027.  

More information 

• Download and read the consultation document here

• Answers to questions 

• Information in EasyRead

• Information in EasyRead including Audio 

• You can send questions to lasainteunionconsultation@camden.gov.uk 

Information in British Sign Language and different languages will be uploaded to this web page very soon. 

Expected next steps following the six-week consultation:  

• February 2027: Cabinet members will review the outcome of the consultation, along with other factors, and consider which option to take forward for each school.  

• February 2027: If Cabinet members decide on a proposal to amalgamate or close a school, a 4-week prescribed statutory consultation period would follow where the school, parents and carers, and wider stakeholders can comment again on the proposal.  

• April 2027: Cabinet would make the final decision on any proposals.  

• April to May 2027: If the decision has implications for school staff, a formal consultation process for school staff would begin.  

• Implementation date: This will depend on what change is agreed, if any – but changes could be implemented from next academic year (September 2027).