Around 1,800 additional Bournemouth secondary school places will need to be found from September 2018 onwards as a continued rise in pupil numbers is forecasted.
Councillors at Cabinet on Wednesday 23 July 2014 will be asked to note the need to increase secondary school places and for officers to investigate appropriate government funding that will enable the schools to expand to cater for extra pupils.
The recommendation follows the highly successful planning and delivery of additional primary school places over the last four years with 60 per cent of Bournemouth primary schools temporarily or permanently expanding to meet demand due to increase in the birth rate.
Councillor Nicola Greene, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services, said: “Forecasts show that over time the increase in pupil numbers that we have seen at primary age will transfer to secondary and we are already working hard to put in place suitable measures to ensure that there are enough secondary school places in Bournemouth in the future. We anticipate that around 1,800 extra school places across year groups 7 to 11 will be needed from 2018 and so it is important that we start early, working closely with the secondary acadamies and their governors to look at possible options to expand as well as seeking appropriate funding.”
It is also anticipated that there will be extra pressure on post 16 education, at both mainstream and special schools, as the numbers staying on in education due to the raising of the participation age for all young people will increase with more young people opting to stay on.
Cabinet will receive a further report in March 2015 on progress on proposed school expansions.
