Southwark Liberal Democrats stood front and centre at a picket outside Charlotte Sharman Primary School, joining a protest organised by staff and their union to oppose its closure.
Although the council has formally agreed to issue a notice of closure, it is understood that notice has not yet been served – meaning there is still a chance to save the school.
One potential solution, initially dismissed in the report recommending closure but backed by the Liberal Democrats, is for the nearby Charles Dickens School to take over or merge with Charlotte Sharman.
The Liberal Democrats have been holding Southwark Labour to account over school closures since the current programme was announced in 2023. The group previously brought the case of St Mary Magdalene School in Peckham to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, highlighting the poor communication that left the school in a “term of paralysis.”
Earlier this year, ward councillors for St George’s Ward where Charlotte Sharman is based – Cllr Maria Linforth-Hall and Cllr Graham Neale – wrote to Cabinet Member Cllr Jasmine Ali to oppose the closure. When the closure decision was announced, they formally requested a call-in to pause the process so it could be scrutinised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Both interventions were rejected.
Charlotte Sharman is one of the only non-faith schools in the area. It serves a highly disadvantaged community, with 42% of pupils receiving free school meals and 22% having special educational needs.
The Liberal Democrats argue that the closure is not only avoidable but also symptomatic of Labour’s failure – in Southwark and across London – to deliver affordable housing. Trust for London has recently warned that the capital’s housing crisis is making it increasingly difficult to raise a family, pushing more schools into crisis.
Commenting, Cllr Graham Neale, who represents St George’s Ward, said:
“I’m proud to be standing with teachers and families to protest this closure – we won’t stand by whilst the heart is ripped out of our communities by this Labour council. We’ll keep fighting for homes that local families can afford to stay in, and to keep our schools open.”
