Save Viking Primary School

SAVE VIKING PRIMARY SCHOOL

 Petition to Ealing Council Against the Proposed Closure of Viking Primary School, Northolt

 We, the undersigned parents, carers, residents, staff, former pupils and members of the local community, call upon Ealing Council to reconsider its preferred proposal to close Viking Primary School, Northolt, and transfer its pupils to Downe Manor Primary School.

 We recognise that Ealing Council faces genuine challenges caused by falling primary-school pupil numbers across the borough.

However, closing a successful, well-used community school is an irreversible decision.

We believe that before Viking Primary School is permanently closed, Ealing Council must provide clear and transparent evidence that closure is necessary, financially justified and, above all, in the best interests of the children affected.

 1. WHY CLOSE THE SCHOOL THAT IS ALREADY MUCH CLOSER TO CAPACITY?

 According to figures contained in the Council's own report from May 2026:

 Viking Primary School

• 192 pupils
• Capacity: 210
• Approximately 91% occupied
• Only approximately 9% spare capacity
• 27 pupils in Reception against 30 places

Downe Manor Primary School

-208 pupils

-Capacity: 420

-Approximately 50% occupied

-Approximately 50% spare capacity

-14 pupils in Reception against 30 places offered

These figures raise one of the most fundamental questions in this consultation:

Why is the school operating at approximately 91% of its capacity being proposed for closure?

 We recognise that Downe Manor has a larger building capable of accommodating pupils from both schools.

 However, building capacity alone should not determine which school survives.

The Council should clearly explain why the current demand for Viking, its level of occupancy, its established community and the disruption caused by closure are outweighed by the advantages of moving pupils to Downe Manor.

2. VIKING IS A GOOD SCHOOL

 Viking Primary School is not a failing school.

 Its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023 confirmed that the school remains Good.

 Ofsted found that pupils are well looked after, staff know pupils and their families well, and pastoral support helps children feel happy and safe.

Bullying was reported to be rare and dealt with promptly and effectively when it occurred.

 Downe Manor was also rated Good at its most recent inspection in June 2024.

We therefore do not believe this consultation should be presented as a choice between a good school and a failing school.

Both are established schools serving their communities.

The question is whether permanently closing Viking provides sufficient benefit to justify the disruption and loss that closure would create.

3. THE FINANCIAL CASE MUST BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT

We recognise that falling pupil numbers create financial pressure because school funding is largely linked to pupil numbers.

 However, parents and residents should be shown the complete financial comparison before being asked to support an irreversible closure.

 Viking ended the 2025/26 financial year with a cumulative surplus, although future annual deficits are forecast.

 Downe Manor has experienced significant annual deficits and has fixed costs associated with its Private Finance Initiative (PFI) arrangements.

 We therefore ask Ealing Council to publish a clear, like-for-like financial comparison showing:

• the projected cost of keeping Viking open;
•  the projected cost of keeping Downe Manor open;
•  projected deficits for both schools;
• all PFI payments and contractual commitments associated with Downe Manor;
• maintenance costs for both buildings;
•  capital expenditure required at Viking;
•  any capital expenditure required at Downe Manor;
• the cost of merging the schools;
•  redundancy and staffing costs;
• transition costs;
• additional SEND and pastoral support costs;
•  additional transport and highway costs arising from closure;
•  and the financial consequences if a significant proportion of Viking families choose schools other than Downe Manor.

Parents deserve to understand the full long-tern financial case, rather than simply being told that one building has more capacity.

4. THE CONDITION OF THE VIKING BUILDING SHOULD NOT, BY ITSELF, DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF THE SCHOOL

We recognise that the Council's report identifies the physical condition of the Viking building as a significant concern and states that Downe Manor's buildings are in better condition.

That issue should be taken seriously.

However, the condition of a building and the success or value of the school operating within it are not the same thing.

 Before closing Viking permanently, the Council should publish:

• a detailed schedule of necessary works at Viking;
• the estimated cost of each significant item;
•  which works are essential for safety and continued operation;
•  which works are desirable rather than essential;
•  which works have already been completed or funded;
• the realistic lifespan of the existing buildings following necessary investment and
• whether refurbishment, phased investment or alternative funding has been fully considered.

 The community should be able to compare the actual cost of retaining Viking against the full long-term cost of closure and merger.

5. CHILDREN'S SAFETY AND THEIR JOURNEY TO SCHOOL MUST COME FIRST

Closing Viking would not simply move pupils from one building to another.

It would change the daily journey to school for many children and families.

 Ealing Council has previously recognised traffic and road-safety concerns around Viking and introduced a School Street.

Council research relating to Viking found that approximately 83% of pupils arrived using active modes of travel — walking, scooting or cycling.

The Council concluded that restricting vehicle movements close to the school gates could improve road safety for these pupils.

 The School Street has become an established part of the Viking community.

Feedback subsequently published by Ealing Council from a Viking parent stated that the roads surrounding the school had become calmer and safer for children.

6. DOWNE MANOR HAS ALSO REQUIRED TRAFFIC AND ROAD-SAFETY INTERVENTION

 This petition does not claim that Downe Manor is an unsafe school.

Downe Manor is rated Good by Ofsted and its safeguarding arrangements have been positively assessed.

However, Ealing Council's own consultation concerning the Downe Manor School Street identified:

• congestion;
• driver parking behaviour; and
• road safety as

principal concerns. 

A School Street was subsequently introduced at Downe Manor in October 2024.

Feedback published by Ealing Council described previous problems involving vehicles parking on zig-zag markings, corners and pavements.

The School Street appears to have improved those conditions.

This therefore raises an important question:

What will happen if the journeys of the Viking school community are transferred into an area where Ealing Council has already had to introduce traffic restrictions to address congestion, parking and road-safety concerns?

The Council should answer this question with evidence rather than assumptions.

7. A FULL SCHOOL TRAVEL AND ROAD SAFETY IMPACT ASSESSMENT SHOULD BE PUBLISHED

Before any final decision is taken, we call upon Ealing Council to undertake and publish a comprehensive School Travel and Road Safety Impact Assessment.

It should establish:

1 Where existing Viking pupils live in relation to Viking and Downe Manor.

2 How much further each child would need to travel.

3 How many Viking pupils currently live within 0.5 mile and 1 mile walking distance of Viking.

4 How those figures would change if those children attended Downe Manor.

5 How many Viking pupils currently walk, cycle, scoot, use public transport or travel by car.

6 How those travel patterns are expected to change following closure.

7 Whether children who currently walk to Viking are likely to be driven to Downe Manor instead.

8 The anticipated increase in vehicle movements around Downe Manor during morning drop-off and afternoon collection.

9 The effect on Down Way, Rayners Crescent, Rushdene Crescent and surrounding residential streets.

10 Whether the existing Downe Manor School Street can safely accommodate the changed travel patterns.

11 Whether parking could be displaced onto neighbouring streets outside the restricted zone.

12 Which roads and crossings Viking children would need to negotiate on their new journeys.

13 Whether additional pedestrian crossings, traffic calming, School Street extensions or other highway improvements would be required.

14 The cost of any such improvements.

15 The environmental consequences of additional vehicle journeys, including congestion and air quality.

Ealing Council has already conducted traffic surveys around both schools.

Survey locations around Viking have included Radcliffe Way, Beauvais Terrace, Broomcroft Avenue and Canberra Drive.

locations around Downe Manor and St Raphael's have included Down Way, Rayners Crescent, Gurney Road, Rushdene Crescent, Edward Road and Hartfield Avenue.

This information should be used and published as part of the assessment.

8. SAFEGUARDING IS ABOUT MORE THAN THE SCHOOL GATE

Safety does not end with road crossings and traffic.

Primary-school children develop strong relationships with teachers, teaching assistants, SEND staff, pastoral staff and other pupils.

Ofsted specifically recognised the established pastoral environment at Viking and the fact that staff know their pupils and families well.

Closing Viking would disrupt some of these established relationships.

This deserves particular consideration for:

• younger children;
• vulnerable pupils;
• children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND);
• children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs);
• and children who may find major changes in routine particularly difficult.

The Council's own initial equality assessment has already recognised that changing schools could cause anxiety and disruption to children's routines, friendships and journeys, and that pupils with SEND or EHCPs may require individual transition support.

We therefore call for a detailed Safeguarding, SEND and Pupil Wellbeing Impact Assessment before any final decision.

 9. THE EFFECT ON CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED

For adults, this proposal can easily become a discussion about:

capacity, buildings, budgets, PFI contracts and pupil projections.

For a child, it is very different.

 It is their teacher.

Their classroom.

Their friends.

 Their playground.

Their routine.

Their journey every morning.

Their sense of belonging.

A primary school is one of the most important environments in a young child's life.

Any financial benefit of closure must therefore be weighed against the educational, emotional and social disruption caused to children.

10. VIKING IS PART OF THE NORTHOLT COMMUNITY

Viking Primary School is more than its buildings.

It represents relationships built over generations between pupils, parents, staff and local residents.

Once a community school closes, recreating it is extremely difficult.

Current demographic pressures must therefore be considered alongside Northolt's longer-term needs.

Before permanently removing school capacity, Ealing Council should publish its long-term population and housing projections for the area and demonstrate that sufficient local school capacity will remain available if circumstances change.

A decision made because of today's falling birth rate may have consequences lasting for decades.

11. ALL REALISTIC ALTERNATIVES SHOULD BE PROPERLY CONSIDERED

The Council itself is consulting on more than one option.

We therefore ask that the consultation genuinely considers alternatives rather than treating the closure of Viking as a predetermined outcome.

These should include:

• retaining the current arrangements;
• reducing capacity without closing Viking;
• alternative organisational arrangements between the schools;
• sharing services or leadership where appropriate;
• phased investment in Viking;
• reducing operating costs;
• alternative use of surplus space;
• community use of school facilities;
• and any other realistic model capable of retaining local primary provision.

If these alternatives are rejected, the Council should publish the reasons and supporting evidence.

12. QUESTIONS EALING COUNCIL SHOULD ANSWER BEFORE MAKING ITS DECISION

Before Viking Primary School can reasonably be considered for permanent closure, parents and residents deserve clear answers to the following questions:

Why close Viking when it is currently much closer to its physical capacity than Downe Manor?

Why should a school with 192 pupils and capacity for 210 close while pupils are transferred to a school with substantial unused capacity?

What is the complete financial saving after PFI, transition, staffing, SEND, transport, highway and other costs are included?

 How much would it actually cost to carry out the essential works required to keep Viking operating?

How many Viking families are expected to accept a place at Downe Manor?

What happens to the financial model if significant numbers choose other schools?

How will children's journeys change?

Will more families have to use cars?

Can the existing Downe Manor School Street safely accommodate the changed travel patterns?

 What will be the effect on traffic and parking in surrounding residential streets?

How will children with SEND and EHCPs be supported?

What assessment has been made of the emotional and pastoral impact on children?

What happens if the number of primary-age children in Northolt increases again in future?

Until these questions have been answered transparently, we do not believe that an irreversible decision should be made.

OUR REQUEST TO EALING COUNCIL

We therefore call upon Ealing Council to keep Viking Primary School open and to work with its pupils, parents, staff, governors and the wider Northolt community to identify a sustainable alternative to closure.

We accept that falling pupil numbers create genuine challenges and that difficult decisions may need to be considered.

However, the permanent closure of a well-attended community school should only take place where compelling evidence demonstrates that closure is necessary, proportionate, financially justified and genuinely in the best interests of children.

At present, we believe important questions remain unanswered.

Viking Primary School is not simply a building.

It is not simply a line in a budget.

And its pupils are not simply numbers in a capacity calculation.

It is our children's school.

It is part of our community.

It deserves a future.

SAVE VIKING PRIMARY SCHOOL

We ask Ealing Council to listen to the children, families, staff and community it represents and reconsider the proposed closure of Viking Primary School.