Councils will have to consider cost-cutting, merging with other schools and shutting, think tank says

Some schools in England could be forced to close because falling pupil numbers will mean they receive less money, analysis suggests.

Schools could lose more than 1bn in funding by 2030 as child tallies decline, according to the Education Policy Institute (EPI) think tank. Most school funding is allocated on a per-pupil basis.

The think tank report says schools may be forced to consider cost-cutting measures, merging with other schools and closing.

According to the institute, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East and London are projected to have the largest falls in pupil numbers at secondary schools.

But in the West Midlands, South East England and the East of England, the number of pupils is projected to rise.