Shropshire schools face big increase in student numbers

Figures from the Department for Education show that in five years Telford & Wrekin will need to increase its secondary school capacity by 15 per cent.

While in 2016-17 there were 13 state-funded schools with 12,801 available places for children between 11 and 16 years old, the department estimates that 14,768 students will be in secondary school in 2023-24.

Telford & Wrekin Council will need to find room to accommodate 1,967 new pupils by then.

The council said the ability to expand quickly had been built into many new or refurbished schools in the borough, and that discussions were already being held with secondary schools.

Russell Griffin of Telford & Wrekin Council said: “The council has a robust process in place to forecast demand for school places and works closely with a variety of partners including the Department for Education to ensure that there are sufficient places available.

“Discussions have already been held to ensure there are sufficient places for children over the short term with a number of options being considered for further significant expansions.

“A number of new or refurbished schools have been provided as part of the Council’s £200m BSF programme. We deliberately built into these schools an ability to expand them quickly to meet demand. We are currently developing plans for increasing capacity over coming years to meet the demand for more places.”

Shropshire Council will have 17,307 students between 11 and 16 years old in 2023-24, 1,410 more than this year.

Outpacing

Despite the increased pressure, Shropshire Council has enough places available to make up for the higher number of students.

It is one of 65 local authorities where there are more places than students.

But student demand is outpacing the number of places in 71 other English councils

The Local Government Association said councils needed the power to expand in order to avoid the “crisis”.

Councillor Anntoinette Bramble, chair of the association’s Children and Young People Board, said: “It makes no sense for councils to be given the responsibility to plan for school places but then not allowed to open schools themselves. It is only by working with councils, rather than shutting them out, that we can meet the challenges.”

A Department of Education spokesman said: “This Government has driven the largest creation in school places in two generations and by 2020, there will be one million more new places across the school system than there were in 2010.

“We are spending £23 billion by 2021 to ensure every child has access to a good school place and since 2010, 43,000 fewer pupils are being taught in overcrowded schools. Our latest admissions data shows that 93.8 per cent of children received offers from one of their top three choice of secondary school last year.”