Express & Star

Baby boom sparks Sandwell school expansions

A baby boom in a Black Country borough means an extra 335 school places must be created over the next two years to cope with demand.

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A baby boom in a Black Country borough means an extra 335 school places must be created over the next two years to cope with demand.

Sandwell Council is set to start consultation on plans to expand schools in Wednesbury, Smethwick and Tipton, to cover next September's intake, when an extra 110 reception places are needed.

The current issues have arisen as a result of a "significant" rise in birth rates during 2006/07 and an "unprecedented" increase seen in 2007/08.

The council is also looking at plans to extend and build new schools in the coming years.

A report to be presented to councillors later this week said birth rates are still going up. Nationally, primary schools will have to find an extra 350,000 places over the next four years.

Under the new plans extra pupils will be taken on at Wednesbury's Tameside Primary, which would go from a two to a three form entry.

In Tipton an extra 20 places will be created at Glebefields Primary and Joseph Turner Primary.

And in Smethwick two extra classes will need to be catered for. Uplands Manor Primary in the town will expand to a four form entry, with a £9 million major expansion and redevelopment project planned for Shireland Hall Primary.

However, these expansions will only deal with the immediate problem, with a further 225 extra places needed the following year, in September 2012.

Councillor Bob Badham, cabinet member for children and families, said: "Demographic changes are taking place and we need a long term strategy to deal with it. This is the start of the process.

"There will be financial implications. We may need to build extensions, or create new schools and obviously we need to work out how best to approach this.

"We will need to build this into our own budgets and look at how we can get funding."

Work on an £8 million expansion at Tipton Green Junior School in Oak Lane West is already under way.

And the expansion plans for Shireland Hall in Edith Road to allow an extra 45 pupils per year are moving forward.

Birmingham schools are also set to be expanded.

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