What could keep the school open?

A credible alternative gives decision-makers a choice they could put into practice. Model a smaller intake, shared leadership, a federation or suitable use of spare space, with a realistic plan for staff and funding.

Rules in force from 1 September 2026 replace the leaflet’s claim that amalgamation requires a new free school. Current guidance describes altering a surviving maintained school or, subject to conditions, creating a replacement maintained school. A legal route does not supply a willing partner, funding or suitable premises. Council leaflet · Prescribed alterations guidance · Opening new schools guidance.

What a full assessment needs

Compare three-year budgets with low, central and high pupil numbers and actual class and staffing costs. Allow for any delay before pupil changes affect income. School, governor and council agreement would be needed; none is approved here.

Test the alternatives on the same terms

• Shared leadership or federation: the FAQ’s £50,000–£80,000 savings range alone leaves £132,417–£162,417 against the first-year gap. This is subtraction, not a committed saving; check whether savings are already assumed.
• A smaller intake or different site use: cost actual cohorts, classes, curriculum and support. Lettings need permissions and net income after extra costs; spare space alone does not balance the budget.
• Amalgamation or a different organisation running the school: name the willing partners and legal route; cost staffing and set-up, and check which teaching and site would remain.
• A limited recovery period: agree funding, a spending limit, review dates and what happens if pupil numbers or savings fall short. Waiting until a PFI end date is not a free or agreed solution.

One-off fundraising does not meet recurring costs. Recruitment remains school-owned and completely separate from this closure campaign.

Sources: Kew FAQ Q5 and shared-leadership range, Q11. Current legal guidance and remaining evidence.

Limits and unanswered questions

Keeping teaching on site may change the school’s identity or how it is run. The existing-school and replacement-school routes have different procedures; September 2026 guidance also has transitional rules for earlier proposals. Agree which outcome matters and check premises/PFI permissions, timing and costs.

Closing maintained schools: statutory guidance · School financial information · The school's private finance initiative arrangement

The council projects an accumulated budget deficit of over £400,000 by 2028/29. That is a forecast, not an agreed fundraising target. We need to understand the annual funding gap, what would make the school sustainable afterwards, and whether a funded alternative would change the proposal.

Source: Council consultation, “Financial strain” and the consultation leaflet, rechecked 21 September 2026.

An option to explore. No donations or pledges are collected here, and no recipient is agreed. This is Yann’s parent-led initiative; no school, PTA or council endorsement is implied.

Could local residents, families and businesses help fund a viable future for Kew Riverside Primary School? Money raised locally could help fund a costed recovery plan and give the school time to make changes.

What a full assessment needs

Work out the funding needed for an agreed recovery period. Find an organisation able to receive and manage the money. Ask the school and council for a written assessment of how a funded plan would affect the proposal. Check how interested donors are before deciding whether to launch a public appeal.

Limits and unanswered questions

A one-off donation does not fix a shortfall that continues each year. Fundraising would need a credible plan for pupil demand, costs and future income. Local wealth does not mean donors have committed. Raising money would not by itself secure a decision to keep the school open.

This sits beside the costed recovery plan because the two are connected. Its position does not mean it is likely to succeed.

Council consultation · Consultation leaflet · School financial information

Falling borough demand matters, but borough totals cannot settle the case for one school. An earlier Kew planning-area forecast was close to the 2025/26 total; later forecasts changed. See the matched forecast check, then ask which cohort and housing assumptions changed.

What a full assessment needs

Test each published school and Kew-area forecast against actuals for the same period and geography. Compare versions and explain changed pupil yields, housing completion dates and credible delivery scenarios. A planning permission is not an occupied family home.

School Place Planning Strategy: the Kew area · School place planning annual update: October 2025 data

PFI means private finance initiative: a long-term arrangement to finance and maintain the school buildings.

The useful comparison is the avoidable cost of keeping the school open against the full cost of closing it. Continuing building payments could change the balance. See what the published costs do and do not establish.

What a full assessment needs

Ask for a year-by-year cash-flow comparison. Include PFI obligations, transition costs, redundancy, transport and any income from using the site. Separate costs that end from costs that continue.

The school's private finance initiative arrangement · Council responsibilities for school buildings · School financial information

Decision-makers need practical evidence about each year group, extra support, safe journeys, accessibility, continuity and siblings. The borough equality assessment promises school-specific work, but we did not find a Kew assessment in the public pack we reviewed. See the remaining questions. A total of empty places does not answer every family’s questions.

What a full assessment needs

Ask for staffed capacity by year group, the Kew-specific equality assessment and the support planned for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Also ask for a travel assessment and funded support for any move. Send anonymised, specific examples, with realistic ways to reduce the impact, and alternatives.

Closing maintained schools: statutory guidance · School place planning annual update: October 2025 data

A specialist may charge for advice.

An education or public-law solicitor can assess a specific concern about the process, evidence or legal duties. They can do this once the relevant documents are available.

What a full assessment needs

Share the notice, consultation papers, decision report and an exact timeline. Ask quickly about the deadlines and remedies that apply.

Closing maintained schools: statutory guidance