A primary school with just six pupils in reception could close and two others merge because there are not enough children to fill empty desks.

Faced with a falling birth rate and people moving out of the borough, Islington Council has proposed closing The Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Primary School and merging Montem Primary School with nearby Duncombe Primary School next summer.

Blessed Sacrament in Boadicea Street, Kings Cross, has just six pupils in its reception class but space for 30 children.

The undersubscribed primary saw an 18 per cent drop in numbers this year and has the lowest pupil count in the borough with 76 out of a possible 210.

Despite its ‘good’ rating from education watchdog Ofsted, the council said it had few options as the school is already a one-form entry school.

It has proposed closing the school from July. Parents can respond to a council consultation until Tuesday, December 12 and the council will make its final decision in March.

However, the school’s governing body is considering converting it to an academy in the Cardinal Hume Academies Trust (CHAT).

Headteacher Alexandra Fernandez told parents: “The staff and I are very grateful for all the support the school has already received from CHAT, and look forward to this being sustained well into the future and being part of the Trust.

“We believe this will bring about positive outcomes for all our pupils, staff and associates, and we are unequivocal that this will support our future for many years to come.”

Meanwhile, children at Montem Primary School in Hornsey Road are likely to be transferred to nearby Duncombe Primary School, if a planned merger goes ahead next summer.

Both schools were recently rated ‘good’ by education watchdog Ofsted but also have falling pupil numbers, with over half their reception places currently vacant.

In mergerr plans, pupils at Montem would move to Duncombe School in Sussex Way.

In a letter to parents, Duncombe headteacher Helen Ryan said: “I want to stress to you that Duncombe staff are ‘keeping calm and carrying on’. We know that the most important thing is to ensure an excellent education for all children.”

There will be space for 60 pupils in each new year group in the merged school from September 2024, with capacity for 585 children from reception through to Year 6.

The council said most pupils live within 1km of Duncombe school.

The consultation ends on Wednesday, December 20.

The council will make its final decision about the two schools in April.

Government funding is based on the number of pupils, with primary schools generally receiving £5,500 per pupil. The council said schools with fewer pupils have less money to spend on staff and resources.