Viking and Downe Manor: council considers consultation on schools’ future

Ealing Council is preparing to decide whether to launch a public consultation on the future organisation of Viking Primary School and Downe Manor Primary School in Northolt. A report published on 15 September recommends asking parents, staff, governors and residents about the available options. At this stage, no decision has been made to close or merge either school.

The review is being driven by a sustained fall in the number of children starting primary school. According to the council, the number entering Reception at state-funded schools across Ealing has fallen by more than 900 since its peak in the 2014/15 school year. In the planning area covering Greenford, Northolt and Perivale West, Reception admissions fell from 285 in 2014/15 to 175 in 2025/26.

Lower pupil numbers mean more than empty places. School funding is largely linked to the number of children attending, so the council also points to financial pressure and the need to keep education provision sustainable over the longer term.

The preferred option identified in the report would close Viking Primary School and merge it with Downe Manor Primary School from September 2027. Every child enrolled at Viking when it closed would be offered a place at Downe Manor. Both schools are in Northolt: Viking is on Radcliffe Way, while Downe Manor is on Down Way.

This is not the only option under consideration. Any consultation would also include keeping the current arrangements and other ways of reducing surplus school capacity in this part of the borough. For families, that means there is currently no reason to change school or make decisions on the basis of the report’s recommendation alone.

The next step is a decision by the council’s cabinet member responsible for a fairer start on whether the consultation should go ahead. If approved, it is expected to run during October and November. Only after the responses have been reviewed would the council’s cabinet consider whether to publish a statutory proposal for any changes.

Parents and residents who want to take part should therefore watch for a council announcement confirming the start of the consultation and its precise dates. At that stage, the important task will be to examine the full range of options and submit practical evidence about travel, school places, support for children and the effect on both school communities. The identification of a preferred option does not determine the outcome of the process.