Rescue Package Could Save William Hogarth School
Figures show local primary has borough's largest percentage deficit
The Chiswick primary school was highly rated at its last Ofsted inspection
November 13, 2026
The William Hogarth School in Chiswick could benefit from a £15 million financial support package proposed by Hounslow Council to help schools struggling with falling pupil numbers.
The announcement comes as figures submitted to the council's Schools Forum reveal that William Hogarth's accumulated deficit has risen to £722,675, equivalent to 64.4% of its annual funding. This the highest s among the borough's schools.
The school, which was previously identified by a senior Labour councillor as one of two primary schools earmarked for closure, has seen its financial position deteriorate sharply over the past two years. Its deficit stood at £144,484 in March 2024, rising to £310,933 in March 2025 before reaching its current level at the end of March this year.
Ivybridge Primary School, the other school named by Cllr Sue Sampson as a potential closure candidate, is also in serious financial difficulty. Its deficit has grown from £164,895 in March 2024 to £617,416, equivalent to 46.4% of its annual funding.
Under the new proposals, schools would be able to apply to operate temporarily with a deficit through a Licensed Deficit Scheme. This would allow them to continue spending while working towards financial sustainability, subject to submitting a credible three-year plan approved by their governors and monitored by the council.
The money would be provided interest-free and would have to be repaid once the school had returned to a sustainable financial position.
Cllr Max Mosley, Cabinet Member for Finance, said the intervention was intended to give schools the breathing space needed to make changes rather than face immediate financial pressures.
“Our intervention will give our schools the breathing space they need to help balance their budgets. As a Council, we will be there to support those schools through every stage of that process, giving them the help they need to address the challenges they face,” he said.
The council says there are now around 4,000 vacant places in Hounslow's primary schools. It attributes the financial pressures to falling birth rates, with school funding linked to pupil numbers. Birth rates across London fell by more than 20% between 2012 and 2023.
However, the extent of William Hogarth's accumulated deficit raises questions about how it could return to financial health without an increase in pupil numbers or substantial changes to its operating costs.
The school's headteacher, Avril Stockley, previously told parents that the school was operating at around 70% occupancy. It was rated Good by Ofsted in 2023, with Outstanding provision for personal development.
The latest financial figures show that William Hogarth is not alone in facing difficulties. Hounslow Heath Primary School has the largest deficit in cash terms, at more than £1.63 million, while Cavendish Primary has a deficit of £740,931. Ivybridge and William Hogarth have two of the highest deficits relative to their annual funding.
Across the schools listed in the Schools Forum papers, the combined financial position has deteriorated from a surplus of £7.19 million in March 2024 to a deficit of £2.47 million in March 2026.
The council's proposed package is therefore intended to address a borough-wide problem rather than the difficulties of individual schools. Some schools continue to have substantial reserves, while others have moved from surplus to significant deficits in a relatively short period.
It is not yet clear how much of the £15 million will be available to individual schools, what criteria will determine eligibility or whether schools with particularly large existing deficits will be able to access the scheme.
There is also no indication that the announcement represents a change in the council's approach to reorganising school provision.
The future of William Hogarth became a source of controversy in July when Cllr Sue Sampson, who represents Isleworth, claimed that the school and Ivybridge had been identified for closure during private discussions among Labour councillors ahead of a Cabinet meeting.
The council and Labour group denied that a decision had been taken, saying the Cabinet discussion was not about deciding school closures. They subsequently confirmed that no reorganisation proposals would be implemented during the 2026/27 academic year, with any changes now being considered for September 2028.
In a letter to parents following the July controversy, headteacher Avril Stockley said there were no active proposals relating to school reorganisation and no public consultation scheduled for the forthcoming academic year.
The council's wider reorganisation exercise is intended to address a substantial surplus of school places. Its previous analysis showed 2,880 unfilled primary places across the borough, representing 11.64% of capacity. The largest surplus was in Heston and Cranford, although Brentford and Chiswick also had an estimated 390 spare primary places.
Responses to the council's earlier consultation showed strong support for repurposing surplus school space for educational or community uses, including special educational needs provision and wraparound care. There was considerable opposition to using school land for housing.
The new financial package could give William Hogarth and other schools more time to adjust to falling pupil numbers without having to make immediate and potentially damaging cuts. But because the assistance would have to be repaid, it does not in itself resolve the longer-term question of whether the council believes there are too many primary school places in Chiswick and elsewhere in the borough.
The Schools Forum is due to consider the financial position of schools and the proposed support arrangements. The crucial question for William Hogarth's parents and staff will be whether the council sees the scheme as a way of preserving existing schools or simply helping them manage their finances while a wider reorganisation is prepared.
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