Soho Parish C of E Primary School, the last remaining primary school in central London’s Soho district, is fighting to keep its doors open as falling pupil numbers and mounting financial pressures take their toll.

Established on Great Windmill Street in the late 19th century, the school has seen its enrolment plummet from 180 in 2018 to just 105 pupils in 2024. The drop, compounded by a £200,000 annual funding deficit, underscores the demographic and economic challenges reshaping London as a city for families.

The school’s headteacher, Alix Ascough, told MyLondon that its closure would mean “losing that beating heart of the community”. She explained: “People talk about Soho being a village, and when you think of a village you think of a pub and a church and a school. To not have a school, you’re losing that beating heart of the community.”

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