Soho's last remaining school says it needs an additional £200,000 annually for the next five years as it is hit by falling pupil numbers.

Soho Parish C of E Primary School, which has existed on Great Windmill Street since the late 19th century, is hoping a combination of fundraising and greater promotion of its services can help it plug the gap and enable it to 'thrive'.

Alix Ascough, Executive Headteacher at Soho Parish and All Souls C of E Primary School in Fitzrovia, said the school going under would mean "losing that beating heart of the community".

Ms Ascough started at Soho Parish around a year ago. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has previously covered the challenges the school faced during Covid, prior to her time at the helm.

Ms Ascough said as is the case across London, the falling pupil roll is asking major questions of the school's finances.

Schools are funded by the Government on a per-pupil basis. In September, the LDRS reported how more than a quarter of Westminster's primary school places are empty, with the council warning of the associated financial implications.

According to London Councils analysis published earlier this year, the capital could see a decline in reception pupils of 4.4 per cent by 2027/28, while demand for Year 7 places could drop by 4.3 per cent.

Ms Ascough said due to its unique location, Soho Parish historically has taken on quite a few pupils who attend while their parents work nearby. The shift to working from home is one of several factors believed to be having an impact, alongside wider issues such as the falling birth rate.

To put some numbers to it, in 2018, Ms Ascough said the pupil roll was 180. It is now at 101. While better than the 95 being budgeted for in July, Ms Ascough said: "That's a significant number of children that we don't have on roll, and yet our costs are very similar. You still have to have teachers per class, you still have energy costs that are the same. They don't change because the number of your pupils change. You might have a little bit of saving on resources, but nothing of any great significance."

The school is looking at a number of ways to improve its financial position. These include marketing campaigns to increase awareness as well as a range of potential fundraising activities, from galas to community breakfast mornings.

It has also had a new logo drawn up, which is designed to work effectively across a range of multimedia platforms.

Since publicly revealing the school's financial difficulties earlier this year, Ms Ascough said the local response has been 'really positive'. "Everyone I've met with is so invested in Soho that they really just want to support [us]," she said. "And that's wonderful. There's a real love of Soho, and I think that flows through the school."

'Beating heart of the community'

Soho Parish has been undergoing some changes in a bid to manage its tough financial position. These include an internal staff restructure and opening up a nursery, in-part to provide additional income.

Ms Ascough said the £200,000-a-year is necessary to pay the deficit and enable Soho Parish to thrive. A number of financial pledges have already been made to help the school reach this target.

"The last thing schools want to do is compromise what the children are entitled to and their quality of education," she said. "So it's how can we not just keep our school viable and solvent, but how can we keep our school thriving and our pupils thriving, and offer the curriculum that they're entitled so. So we are having to be creative in how we do that."

Despite the challenges facing Soho Parish, Ms Ascough remains hopeful. She also emphasised the critical role the school plays in the area, and the local impact if it were to go.

"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. And I think to not have a school, you're losing that beating heart of the community," she said, later adding: "We are growing the future Soho generation."