Demand for school places in London is set to plummet as birth rates decrease, new data shows.
The capital is expecting a total drop in demand of about 7,900 places for the first years of primary and secondary over the next four years.
For primary this equates to a drop of some 128 classes and 134 for secondary.
In seven boroughs this forecast would amount to more than 10% of the school population - although four boroughs are predicted to see increased demand.
The analysis, by the cross-party council representative body London Councils, also shows that about a quarter of a council-run schools currently have a funding deficit.
Between 2012 and 2021, there was a 17% decrease in London's birth rate. House prices, the cost of living and the pandemic are all attributed as recent factors contributing to a population shift out of London, according to London Councils.
For primary schools, they receive about £6,000 for each pupil. The fewer students, the less funding the school has for staff, curricula and materials.
The central boroughs are most acutely affected, as birth rates there continue to experience the most rapid fall in birth rates.
Hackney agreed to close or merge six primary schools in December, while Camden and Islington have seen several schools close in recent years.
