Concerns over £15 million Wolverhampton school expansion plan

A number of councillors voiced their fears after it was revealed that nearly 60 per cent of parents, teachers and governors were opposed to the plans.

Under the scheme, Bilston CE, Eastfield and Manor primary schools, plus Westacre Infant School, will all be permanently extended, creating 465 extra places and new buildings.

Bushbury Hill, Loxdale, St Martin's CE, Stowlawn and West Park Primary Schools will get temporary classrooms to cope with a short-term 'bulge' in pupil numbers.

A tenth, un-named school is expected to be added to the programme this month, added schools manager Bill Hague.

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Despite the opposition, members of the council's ruling cabinet will be recommended to approve the plans at a meeting on Wednesday next week.

Mr Hague told members of the council's children and young people scrutiny panel that the level of opposition should be treated with caution, given the small number of responses received from some of the consultations.

Only 10 responses were received regarding the plans to extend Bilston CE Primary School, and just two of those were opposed to the expansion.

However, of the 61 responses received for the plans to expand Manor Primary School in Woodcross ­— which has an 'outstanding' Ofsted rating ­— only 13 were in favour, with 70.5 per cent saying they did not agree with the plans.

Councillor Martin Waite said he was particularly concerned about the plans given that the school's governing body was opposed to the expansion.

"It might not go very well if the governing body are opposed to it," he said.

Mr Hague said while there was opposition from the governors, Manor Primary was an excellent school and there was a big demand for more places.

"According to government guidelines, it is exactly the sort of school we should expand."

Mr Hague said the school had applied for academy status, and Councillor Mike Hardacre questioned whether money should be invested in a school which could soon be outside local authority control.

He said: "It seems to like the local authority is going to stump up the money for the expansion, and then the school is going to disappear from our control. In that case, shouldn't the Department for Education be stumping up the money?

"We are paying for the expansion of what will effectively become a private school."

Mr Hague said the council would still be obliged to pay for the expansion in school places, regardless of whether the school had academy status or was under local authority control.

Councillor Mike Heap said instead of expanding Manor Primary, the council should be talking to Dudley Council which had surplus places at nearby schools.

He said many of the extra places created at Manor Primary School could go to pupils across the boundary in Dudley, while Dudley's Hurst Hill and Christ Church Primary Schools would continue to have spare places.

Councillor Daniel Warren said he wanted assurances that the temporary classrooms would not simply be 'glorified portacabins' which would be cold for pupils in winter.

Site and building strategy manager Marc Webb said the sectional buildings would be just as energy efficient as permanent buildings.