Displaced Hackney school finds temporary home in Oldhill building
The former Oldhill Primary School building in Stamford Hill will temporarily become the home of a local independent Jewish school
The building of Oldhill School, which closed last year, is set to welcome children once again this September. It will provide a temporary home for Beis Yaakov Girls School, a local independent school, ensuring it can continue to teach its children while it searches for a long-term home.
The former Oldhill Primary School is one of eight schools in Hackney that have closed in recent years, following a long-term decline in pupil numbers and rising financial pressures. The building has been largely empty since the merger with Harrington Hill Primary School was completed in August 2025.
The site will now become home to Beis Yaakov Girls School, a ‘Good’-rated independent primary school from Hackney, which was evicted from its existing premises by its landlord at the end of July 2026. A new site was urgently required for the school to avoid closure and ensure the more than one hundred pupils on its roll still had a place to study in the new school year.
The school has been granted a temporary licence to occupy part of the empty Oldhill School building for the period of September to December 2026.
Unlike some independent schools, Charedi Jewish schools like Beis Yaakov serve the community’s needs rather than acting as profit-making private institutions. They are often charities and offer heavily subsidised education to their pupils. This may make it difficult for them to find adequate buildings to teach their children, particularly when they are facing urgent displacement.
After being unsuccessful in securing a site following the news of the eviction, Beis Yaakov reached out to Hackney Council for help.
While local authorities have no statutory duty to provide independent schools with sites, they do have to ensure that all school aged children within the borough have a place to learn.
As part of the recently announced “Who owns Hackney” programme, the Council has committed to improving transparency and increasing community access to buildings. This includes ensuring that former school buildings are repurposed so they can benefit Hackney residents and local communities.
By agreeing to offer part of the empty school building to Beis Yaakov under a temporary licence to occupy, the Council will ensure that the children still have access to the education they need, while looking for a long term solution. This allows the school to stabilise its operations in the short term, while the Council continues to review and engage with local community partners on the site’s long-term use.
Hackney’s buildings belong to the community.
When one of our independent schools faced eviction, we looked at how our empty school buildings could help.
By offering this school in need a temporary home in one of our underused buildings, we are keeping the door open for over one hundred school children, allowing them to continue to learn without disruption while they seek long-term solutions.
It is one of the ways in which we ensure our spaces continue to serve those who need them most. We will continue to work with residents and local organisations to decide on their long term use.”
Zoë Garbett, Mayor of Hackney
As a local authority, we have a duty to ensure that all of our children have a place to learn. Our education strategy focuses on partnership, and supporting our entire family of schools, regardless of their type, to strengthen their long-term sustainability.
We will continue to work together with all local schools to help them find long term solutions that allow them to offer a sustainable, high quality education that respects the needs and values of the communities they serve.”
Cllr Soraya Adejare, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Early Intervention
Facing eviction from our school building, with the possibility of closure, was an incredibly difficult and worrying experience for governors, staff and parents.
We are so grateful to Hackney Council for providing temporary access to a purpose-built building. This gives our children the chance to continue their education in the local community where they belong, while we secure suitable permanent premises for the future.
Mrs Rebecca Deutsch, Headteacher, Beis Yaakov Girls School
Notes to editors
A licence to occupy is a legal agreement that allows an organisation to temporarily use Council-owned property. It is not a landlord-tenant arrangement; the Council retains full control and management of the site. A mutually agreed fee is paid to the Council for this use.
As of August 2026, only a small part of the Oldhill building is occupied by the Oldhill Children’s Centre, which is managed by Harrington Hill Primary School. The building had a capacity of 420 children, and needs minimal adjustments to be able to reopen. The site has multiple entrances and a floor plan that easily allows for multiple organisations to share the building while remaining separate.
The Oldhill Children’s Centre will continue to operate as normal, managed by Harrington Hill Primary School. The Council is working closely with both organisations to ensure a smooth, separate, and safe experience for everyone on the site.