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Wolverhampton school inundated with applications after state sector transfer revealed

The Royal Wolverhampton School has been inundated with thousands of requests for places since the news broke in June that it was planning to transfer to the state sector.

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According to headteacher Mark Heywood the level of demand has been so high that extra staff had been taken on to deal with applications, while the school receives around 15 calls per hour from interested parents.

"The amount of interest has been quite remarkable," said Mr Heywood, who took over as headteacher three years ago.

"The demand is testament to the high esteem in which the school is held in the local community. Our aim is to develop the school so that it is open to children and families of all backgrounds."

The move is part of a long term plan to expand the school, with pupil numbers set to double to more than 1,000 by 2020. It will also involve new buildings and the deployment of a 'significant' number of extra teachers.

But while he admits the decision to scrap fees for the first time since 1964 was a big one for the historic independent school, Mr Heywood maintains the move is necessary to enable the school to grow.

"In our current situation we are stretched in terms of what we can offer," he said.

"We want to move forward, but to do that we feel this change is necessary. The important thing now is for us to take things one step at a time and not to grow too quickly.

"We already have waiting lists in every year group for September 2015, but we don't want to make too many changes to the school in a short period of time.

"The growth will be managed over the next five years so as not to disrupt the ethos of the school."

The Royal's international school, which houses 150 pupils from 25 different countries, will be unaffected by the move.

Next month the school submits its final bid to the Department for Education, with a decision on the switch expected early next year.

Mr Heywood added: "The support we have had from parents has been overwhelming. It is an exciting time and the buzz around the school this term is palpable.

"It is a big change, but it is one we feel will make the school an important part of Wolverhampton's education system for years to come."

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