Four primary schools get £8.5 million to expand

The borough council wants to increase the size of reception classes at Beacon Primary School in Willenhall from 45 pupils to 60, Greenfield Primary School in Shelfield from 30 to 45, King's Hill Primary School in Darlaston from 45 to 60 and St Giles in Willenhall from 45 to 60.

Around £4.4m has been provided by the Department for Education for the expansion in 2016/2017 and £4.1million the following year.

Learning and skills boss at Walsall Council, Councillor Chris Towe, said: "We have a statutory duty to provide enough school places for children.

"If there is more children, whether it is because of immigration to the town or more housing, then we need more places and we have to provide them.

"We have launched a public consultation on the proposals and we will have to wait and see whether parents are concerned about it.

"It all comes down to what we can do with a finite budget.

"We will consider all of the factors but the most important thing will be achieving value for money."

Under the plans, Beaconside would grow from a one-and-a-half entry form school to double form.

The proposal is to knock out an internal wall and expand the dining room. The current capacity is 315 which would rise to 420 by 2023.

An inside wall would also be knocked down at Greenfield to extend the children's centre. The capacity would increase from 210 places to 315 by 2023.

King's Hill would also become a double form entry school from a one and half currently.

The proposal would see the dining hall extended.

A total of 420 pupils would be at the school in 2023 compared to the current capacity of 351.

The vision at St Giles is to convert an old church building to create two classrooms while a kitchen would also be refurbished to become a classroom and a new building would be developed for a dining room.

It is hoped the expansions would be ready by September 2017.

The council's Education and Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee met last night to discuss the move.

A report prepared for councillors on the panel said: "The world is changing fast and expectations are rising rapidly, matched by an increasingly diverse education system.

"Nationally and internationally we have to achieve a more educated and skilled workforce and cannot afford to lose the potential of any young person.

"Our role is to be ambitious, focussed and strategic in championing the needs and priorities of children and young people living, learning and growing up in Walsall."