Green light to extend The Wordsley school
Plans to extend a Stourbridge school have been given the green light – as council bosses work to meet demands for increased secondary school places in Dudley.
The Wordsley School could see pupil numbers increase from 755 to 1,055 over five years, starting from September 2020.
Proposals had been submitted to build a teaching block, sports hall, toilet block, sports courts and a new 20 space car park at the Brierley Hill Road site.
A design and access statement said: “The need for additional school places is expected to continue, Dudley has experienced an increase in the number of primary age children over recent years and the birth rate has continued to rise.
"The school is in an area that has seen a significant increase in birth rate and has sufficient space for additional accommodation. The authority believe they will be able to accommodate the extra pupils without an adverse effect on standards of education."
Planning officers have now approved the scheme, subject to conditions, and Dudley Council cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Ruth Buttery has welcomed the news.
She said: "We are really pleased that this expansion is going ahead. Wordsley is a very popular school and this expansion will allow us to meet growing demand in these areas.
“In the past decade we have experienced a surge in birth rates, which peaked in the primary school admissions in 2016/17. This peak will be experienced at secondary level in the next few years, initially in the Brierley Hill area so we are getting ready ahead of time.
"This is really exciting news for Wordsley and for the next generation of pupils attending this high achieving school.”
