700 new Wolverhampton school places needed in baby boom

Hundreds of new secondary school places must be created at schools in Wolverhampton to cope with a baby boom. more More than 700 additional year seven places are needed in the next six years to cope with growing pupils numbers.

The new secondary schools places need to be created as baby boom pupils move on to high school.

And a report discussed by the city's children, young people and families scrutiny panel states that year seven demand is currently predicted to exceed current levels of supply in 2018/19.

Analysis suggests that there is a need to create 140 extra places in 2017/18, 210 in 2018/19, 105 in 2019/20 and 60 in 2021/22.

It is also anticipated that there will be a further requirement in 2022/23 to create in the region of 300 additional year seven places.

Bill Hague, Wolverhampton council's service manager for school places, said: "Wolverhampton's schools are more popular than ever, with increasing demand for places in our primary and secondary schools. This reflects well on the improving standard of education in our city, with more good or outstanding-rated schools than ever before.

"We have been aware of an increasing demand for reception class places because of the rising birth rate for some time, and have already worked closely with local primary schools to expand capacity by creating additional places within the primary school estate.

"Over the coming years, this additional demand will work its way into the city's secondary schools. We estimate demand for secondary places may outstrip current supply by September 2018, and we are therefore working with partners to introduce additional capacity during 2016 and 2017 to meet this predicted future growth."

A draft strategy has now been drawn up which sets out what the council plans to do to develop secondary teaching and learning provision in the city over the next decade.

It states: "Levels of demand for secondary school provision in Wolverhampton are expected to increase significantly in the future as the bulge in pupil numbers in the city's primary schools moves through to the secondary estate.

"The city faces a considerable challenge to ensure that sufficient high quality school places are available to meet the needs of local communities moving forward.

"This upsurge in demand has primarily been driven by a marked increase in the number of births to Wolverhampton residents in recent years; a 24 per cent increase between 2002 and 2014."

It adds: "In order to safeguard the sustainability of the school estate, the expansion of existing schools will be investigated in the first instance, prior to considering the introduction of new provision.

"In order to achieve this ambition, the council will seek to maximise the capacity of existing school sites and consider the appropriation of suitable land adjacent to existing school sites."