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Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, responded to a report by the National Audit Office on changing demand for school places

“Councils want to work with government to ensure every child attends a school where they can be happy, safe and reach their full potential.

“The Department for Education should ensure that all schools, including academies, work together to manage the implications of a fall in pupil numbers, and to minimise the impact on children’s long-term educational attainment.

“Schools are at the heart of communities and should remain open wherever possible and used where they can. The Department should see that there are arrangements in place to ensure flexibility in how any spare space is used, so they benefit communities.”

NAO Report : Falling pupil numbers in primary schools requires a coordinated response from DfE, local authorities and academy trusts