Enfield school closures: consultation approved, then called in

Updated 27 October: eight Labour councillors have called in Cabinet’s decision. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee hears the call-in on Tuesday 3 November, and the consultation cannot start until it is settled. Full story.

Enfield Council will consult on closing three of its schools. The council’s Cabinet approved the consultation on Wednesday 14 October, for Bishop Stopford’s School, Starks Field Primary School and Suffolks Primary School. (Enfield Council, Cabinet decision sheet, 14 October 2026)

Cabinet agreed all eight recommendations in the officers’ report without changes. No school has been closed. The decision starts a consultation on “the proposed closure” of each school “and alternatives to closure”.

The decision could be called in by councillors until Friday 23 October. It was: see the update above. (Enfield Council, decision details)

What Cabinet agreed

The decision sheet records that Cabinet:

• approved consultation on the proposed closure of each of the three schools, and on alternatives to closure
• set aside up to £150,000 from the council’s general fund to run it, including legal advice, materials and events
• handed the consultation itself to the Executive Director of People
• gave the Cabinet member for education the final say on the consultation document
• noted that a further report will come back to Cabinet after the consultation, recommending what happens to each school

Cabinet also noted that the consultation “will make it clear that the council wishes to seek the widest possible range of views about the future of the schools”.

Why these three

The officers’ report says all three schools came out as “high risk” in a council assessment of pupil numbers and parental demand. Its figures show pupils on roll falling sharply, with the 2029 figures projected:

(Enfield Council, Cabinet report)

All three were in deficit at the end of 2025/26: Bishop Stopford’s by £1.2m, Starks Field by £250,000 and Suffolks by £225,000. We set out the full report, including the spare places at nearby schools, in our story ahead of the meeting.

What Suffolks says

Suffolks has already set out its own position on its website. In a post shared there in the last few days, the school said it wants “to continue to be a small mainstream school and to further develop our specialist classes for children with SEN”. It described that as “the best financially viable option” and said it would share “everything” with parents so they can respond once the consultation starts. (Suffolks Primary School)

Adding special needs places alongside a smaller mainstream school is one of the alternatives the council’s report lists. The report says no detailed proposal of that kind had reached the council when it was written.

What happens next

The dates after the call-in deadline are the timetable in the council’s report. They are a plan, not fixed dates.

What it means for you

If your child is at one of the three schools, nothing changes now. The earliest any closure could happen, on the council’s own timetable, is the end of the summer term 2027.

If you want a say, the consultation is due to run for about six weeks in term time from November. The report promises a public meeting at each school, an online questionnaire and translated materials. Anyone can respond, not only parents. If Cabinet decides in February to go further, there is a second chance to object during the formal six-week period in spring 2027.

If you are applying for a school place for September 2027, no closure would be final until spring 2027, after applications are in. Ask the council’s admissions team how any offer could be affected. Term dates for the year are on our Enfield school term dates page.

We will report the consultation dates and the public meetings when the council publishes them.