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Your weekly London local government update

04 Feb 26

Sharp decline in London pupil numbers puts school standards at risk

Demand for school places in London is continuing to decline, raising the risk of school closures and reduced curriculum options, according to a new report from London Councils.

London Councils is calling on government to ensure that schools receive sustainable and adequate funding so they can build the capacity required to meet additional needs and support all children to thrive and achieve.

London Councils’ Executive Member for Children and Young People, Cllr Ian Edwards, said ( [link removed] ): “Maintaining high education standards is the absolute priority for London’s boroughs, but falling pupil numbers are putting real pressure on school budgets. Boroughs are doing all they can locally to manage this whilst ensuring London’s education estate is protected, so school sites can continue to meet future need - particularly given the capital’s acute housing pressures and ambitious targets for housing growth. Without action to reflect London’s circumstances, schools risk having to narrow the curriculum and reduce vital support for pupils.”

Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week 2026

Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness Week (3–9 February 2026) provides an important moment to reflect on the impact of London-wide action to prevent and respond to domestic and sexual abuse. 

Tackling Domestic and Sexual Abuse is a core priority of London Councils’ Pan-London Grants Programme, delivered through seven specialist partner organisations. 

Up to September 2025, their work has supported 28,671 children and young people to recognise healthy relationships, enabled 3,471 people to understand their options and exercise choice, strengthened 64,064 people’s personal resilience, and supported 29,978 people to make safe choices. 

This impact is only possible through the collective support of London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London, whose funding enables the Pan-London Grants Programme to operate at scale and deliver consistent, London-wide support for survivors and those at risk.

Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Strategy

Following the publication of the refreshed Mayor’s Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation (DASA) Strategy in March 2025, the GLA and MOPAC DASA team are taking a phased approach to commissioning that takes a flexible, evidence-led approach to meeting victims'/survivors' needs.   

To inform the commissioning approach, for approximately £15m per year in revenue funding, the DASA team has undertaken a series of engagement workshops which were attended by diverse range of partners including local authorities, VCS sector, and housing partners.

The DASA team has combined victims and survivors' lived experiences with insights from partners to arrive at proposed vision for the future of DASA services in London, and are holding two online sessions to share draft proposals with stakeholders and receive feedback.

Tuesday 24th February - 10:00AM to 12:30PM 
This will be an overall presentation of the commissioning approach with a focused discussion on the plans to replace the existing framework.

Wednesday 25th February - 10:00AM to 12:30PM 
This session will cover the same information as the 24th but with a more focused discussion on the future of continuation grants and borough involvement in the DASA system.

We would therefore encourage local authority partners to prioritise attending this session.

If you would like to register for one or both of the playback sessions, please email [email protected] and include:  your name, organisation, and any accessibility requirements 

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In the news this week...

DLR extension cost and completion date confirmed as TfL puts out tender for contract
MyLondon ( [link removed] )
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Jobs crisis in London: Tens of thousands more Londoners are in temporary work since Labour came to power
The Standard ( [link removed] )
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Go-ahead given for London's largest theatre
BBC News ( [link removed] )
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London Councils is the collective of local government in London, the 32 boroughs and the City of London.
We also run pan-London services like Freedom Pass and Taxicard.
London Councils, 4th Floor, 12 Arthur Street, London, EC4R 9AB

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