The cross-party House of Lords Public Services Committee has launched an inquiry into falling primary school rolls.

The Committee aims to examine how demand for primary schools is changing and expected to change, as well as the causes of falling primary school rolls.

The inquiry will ask how the issue diverges between different types of schools and between different areas in England.

It will also look at the roles of Government, schools and local authorities in relation to changing demand for primary school places, particularly falling demand, and how they monitoring and addressing the challenges presented by changing demand.

Lord Bradley, Chair of the Public Services Committee said: “The number of children enrolled in primary school has been on the decline for several years with current projections showing more significant decline in primary school rolls in the future. 

“We know that there is considerable concern about the risks associated with the falling primary school rolls because of the potential impact on financial stability of schools, especially when funding is usually based on pupil numbers, families, and communities. We’ve launched this inquiry in order to examine in detail the causes for the decline, the impacts and how best these should be addressed so that children, families and communities can benefit from educational institutions that help them all to thrive."

The Committee expects to report on its findings in the next few months.