Officials too slow to act on falling pupil numbers in England, says watchdog

Demographic changes will cause a glut of school places, according to National Audit Office report A failure to account for England’s falling birthrate is leading to a glut of school places and a potential £1bn fall in pupil funding over the next three years, according to a National Audit Office report. The government’s spending watchdog said the Department for Education started to specifically track the risks around changing demographics only in 2024, long after primary enrolments began falli...

By Richard Adams Education editor