Child-unfriendly? Fewer children every year in Lewisham and across London
In Lewisham and across London the number of primary school-age children is plummeting, and the London mayor was told to adjust policies to make the capital more child-friendly.
London is becoming an unsuitable place to raise children, the London Assembly economy, culture and skills committee told the mayor Sadiq Khan.
The number of children living in the capital has been declining at a faster rate than anywhere else in the UK since the early 2010s, according to the committee.
Between 2013 and 2023, London’s population of 0-9 year olds fell by 99,100 as the city’s overall population grew by 506,000, prompting concerns that London, particularly the inner city, was no longer child-friendly.
Falling number of children in Lewisham
Office of National Statistics analysis shows that between the last two censuses (held in 2011 and 2021), the population of Lewisham increased by 8.9%, from just under 275,900 in 2011 to around 300,600 in 2021.
Yet during this decade the number of people aged 50 to 64 years rose by around 15,000 (an increase of 40.5%), while the number of children aged 4 years and under fell by just under 2,900 (a 13.1% decrease). Most critically, the percentage of households including a couple without children rose from 12.7% in 2011 to 15.7% in 2021, while across England it fell from 17.6% to 16.8%.
This changing profile of Lewisham borough, with an increase in the median age and a growth in households without children, is now feeding through to school numbers.
Lewisham council's recent budget report confirmed that for the current year (2026/27) there would be 700 fewer school pupils than the year before, including a decrease of 644 primary school age children.
In the previous year (2025/26) there was an overall reduction of 311 pupils and in 2024/25 a reduction of 251 pupils. Critically, the council report highlighted that the reduction in school pupils had been taking place for five consecutive years.
London Assembly economy, culture and skills committee
In its new report, the committee suggests that serious financial and practical barriers, including the cost of childcare and housing, have played a major role in families moving out of London.
Those who stay often face new housing developments without suitable communal play spaces, and unwelcoming attitudes from neighbours and the authorities.
This has had a knock-on impact on the capital’s schooling system, with reducing class sizes meaning schools face receiving less funding for every pupil they lose. This has led to a number of closures or mergers in recent years.
The mayor was told to take a number of measures to reverse the trend across London, including implementing specific requirements for homes suitable for children in the next London Plan – as well as building more family sized homes – and developing a map of all appropriate play spaces in the capital.
The cross-party committee said that ultimately, the mayor should help ensure that London achieves Child Friendly City status with UNICEF.
Hina Bokhari, who chairs the committee, said: “We cannot allow London to become a place where only a small number of families can afford to live and even fewer can manage to enjoy a good quality of life.
“London must prioritise keeping children and families in the city. Without urgent action, we risk seeing even more families take the decision to leave and set up their lives elsewhere.”
Ms Bokhari told BBC Radio London on 9 March: “The mayor has a job to do – and his job is to make sure that London is fit for everyone.
“A child-friendly city is a friendly city for all and it’s up to the Mayor of London to make sure that he reads this report and puts across all the recommendations that we need in the future.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The mayor is committed to supporting families and helping young people of all backgrounds to thrive.
“This includes funding free school meals for all state primary pupils, investing in activities for young people in school holidays, ensuring families claim financial support they are entitled to, protecting free and discounted travel for children and working with the Government to deliver more affordable homes across the capital, as we build a fairer and better London for everyone.”
Reporting on London Assembly by Kumail Jaffrey Local Democracy Reporter; reporting on Lewisham by Mark Morris.
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