Croydon Secondary Schools Plan SEND Conversion As Enrolments Drop, Croydon 2026

Key Points

• Croydon Council is evaluating strategic options to convert vacant classrooms within local mainstream secondary schools into dedicated facilities for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
• The proposed transformation comes as the London Borough of Croydon faces three distinct local pressure points: a declining birth rate, a sharp increase in surplus mainstream school places, and unprecedented demand for specialist SEND provision.
• Official data from the council indicates that 22 per cent of secondary school places across Croydon currently remain unfilled.
• Amy Foster, Croydon’s Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, has requested clear, published timelines and transparent communication regarding the outcome of recent consultations with school leaders.
• Croydon Council has clarified that no formal decisions on immediate school closures, amalgamations, or structural overhauls have been made, pledging further public consultation before specific schools are affected.

South London (South London News) October 1, 2026 – Croydon Council is actively evaluating plans to convert vacant classrooms across local mainstream secondary schools into dedicated facilities for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as local educational authorities contend with a marked decline in overall student enrolment alongside a historic surge in demand for specialist support.

Why Are Croydon Schools Considering Converting Empty Classrooms Into SEND Units?

As reported by Harrison Galliven, Local Democracy Reporter for MyLondon, the local authority is reviewing its educational footprint to mitigate a combination of three escalating systemic challenges: a drop in local birth rates, a rising volume of surplus mainstream places, and an unprecedented expansion in the number of children requiring specialized SEND provision.

The scale of the capacity imbalance facing the borough is illustrated by Croydon Council’s own figures, which confirm that 22 per cent of secondary school places across Croydon currently go unfilled. Because school funding models in England are tied closely to pupil numbers, high percentages of empty desks present significant budget strains on educational settings, even as demand for specialist education facilities reaches record levels.

What Are Opposition Members Saying About The Proposed Restructure?

As reported by Harrison Galliven of MyLondon, Councillor Amy Foster, Croydon’s Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and Labour Councillor for Woodside, highlighted the broader scope of the demographic trend affecting the borough. Addressing the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Councillor Amy Foster stated:

“We know that falling school rolls are a national challenge”.

Following a recent consultation period conducted with local headteachers and school managers, Councillor Amy Foster called on the administration to share the findings openly with local communities. Councillor Amy Foster urged Croydon Council to set out a visible schedule specifying when survey results will be published, how future rounds of public engagement will be framed, and the precise timeframe for any structural adaptations.

How Has Croydon Council Responded To Calls For Clearer Timetables?

As reported by Harrison Galliven of MyLondon, Croydon Council confirmed that no definitive conclusions have been made regarding immediate school closures, mergers, or property alterations following the preliminary consultation. A spokesperson for Croydon Council stated to the LDRS:

“Any future proposals affecting specific schools, such as Published Admission Number (PAN) changes, amalgamations, repurposing of accommodation or SEND expansion, will be subject to further engagement and, where required, formal consultation and statutory processes”.

The spokesperson for Croydon Council further stated:

“We recognise that partners want greater clarity on the impact on individual schools and on how change would be delivered. The consultation sought views on the challenges facing the borough and the principles that should guide future planning”.

Although Croydon Council does not directly run secondary schools in the borough—which operate under academy trusts—it retains statutory duties regarding school place planning and SEND provision across the authority.

Background To The Development

The challenge facing Croydon mirrors a wider structural shift across Greater London and England, where sustained reductions in birth rates over the past decade have filtered through from primary education into secondary institutions. National figures from the Department for Education (DfE) demonstrate that while mainstream schools face an expanding quota of unfilled places, special educational needs provision is under intense demand, with the number of pupils holding Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) expanding significantly nationwide.

In Croydon specifically, local authority planning documentation has repeatedly underscored the need to rationalize surplus mainstream capacity to ensure financial sustainability for secondary settings. At the same time, the cost of placing pupils with complex needs in independent or out-of-borough specialist placements has added financial pressure to local government High Needs Blocks. Converting surplus capacity within existing mainstream secondary buildings into Educationally Localized Provisions (ELPs) or dedicated SEND units represents a strategic mechanism to keep children educated within their home borough while optimizing empty physical space.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Local Communities

If implemented, this strategic restructure will have direct operational and practical effects on several key stakeholder groups across the borough:

• Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Their Families: Families seeking specialist placement may benefit from an increased availability of localized SEND places. This could shorten travel times for children who would otherwise be transported to facilities outside the borough, while providing structured, tailored learning environments within secondary school settings.
• Mainstream Secondary Schools and Headteachers: School leadership teams operating with 22 per cent surplus capacity could stabilize their facility budgets. Repurposing empty wings or unused classroom clusters into funded SEND hubs allows schools to utilize their full physical footprint, avoiding the financial drag of heating and maintaining under-occupied school buildings.
• Local Ratepayers and Croydon Council: Successfully integrating SEND provisions into existing mainstream secondary sites offers a more cost-effective alternative to building brand-new special schools or paying third-party fees for out-of-borough private placements. This shift could help reduce the local authority’s long-term High Needs Block deficit.
• Prospective Parents and Mainstream Pupils: Adjustments to Published Admission Numbers (PANs) or school structures could lead to smaller entry cohorts for certain mainstream secondary schools. While this aligns school capacity with falling local birth rates, it will require clear communication from council authorities to ensure families understand how catchment areas and place allocations will be managed in future academic years.