The Department for Education have just published their latest pupil projections for the next decade. These predict that there will be an even larger decline in primary pupil numbers from 2024-25 onwards than previously anticipated. This has far-reaching implications for the education system, society and the wider economy. We explore some of these implications below.
What do the projections say?
Figure 1 shows that the number of pupils in state-funded primaries is set to fall by almost a fifth by 2032. Changes in secondary school pupil numbers lag behind primaries, but even they will be down by six per cent by 2032. What challenges might these create for the school system in the coming years?
