10 Wolverhampton schools in £21.5m expansion scheme

Ten schools are set to be expanded in a new £21.5m scheme to ease the chronic dearth of primary places across Wolverhampton.

The city is facing an unprecedented demand for places in reception classes as a result of a baby boom and a spike in immigration.

Over the past year seven schools have undergone expansions at a cost of £14m, but bosses at Wolverhampton council say the number of extra places created is nowhere near enough.

The authority initially brought in temporary bulge classes as a stop-gap solution, but it is now bidding to make permanent room for more than 450 extra pupils by 2017-18. The bulk of the funding for the scheme has been provided by the Department for Education.

Under the plans £3.5m will be spent on Manor Primary, £2m on Bilston Primary and £1.8m at St Martin's Primary.

Other schools set for work include Bushbury Hill, which will feature a new single-storey classroom block creating 60 places over two years.

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And figures of around £1m will be spent on Eastfield Primary and Loxdale Primary.

Stowlawn, Westacre Infants, West Park Primary and St Mary's RC Primary are also due to be expanded.

Councillor Andrew Johnson, Wolverhampton's cabinet member for resources, said: "We can see from the birth statistics that we have increasing numbers of children coming through and we have to allow sufficient provision to meet that need.

"We have identified where it is practical to expand schools and will be making efforts to create new places.

"This is the latest phase in an ongoing process."

Cllr Johnson said that an additional shortfall had been created by the delay in The Royal School in converting to free school status.

A total of £6m has been set aside for as yet undecided projects. "We know there will be a requirement for more primary places, but haven't yet identified where they will be," added Councillor Johnson.

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Union bosses have warned that the system will only work providing staff are given adequate support to deal with the increased numbers.

The first phase of the expansion programme was met with strong opposition when it was launched last year, with overworked teachers and inadequate facilities to cater for more pupils identified as potential problems.

Jenny Battell, NASUWT secretary for Wolverhampton, said: "Councils are in a very difficult situation as a result of long term reductions in funding from Government.

"Increased pupil number have led to bulge classes, which increase the pressure on teachers. It is a difficult situation without extra funding to provide more resources and staff."