Three schools expand as births rise in Wolverhampton
Three primary schools in Wolverhampton are to expand after council bosses approved the plans.
Plans to expand the schools were made public in September this year.
Now, the council has confirmed that Loxdale Primary School, Spring Vale Primary School and Stowlawn Primary School will all be permanently increased from one to two form entry with effect from September 2018.
As part of the plans, Loxdale Primary School which is currently based on Chapel Street, Bilston, will also be relocated to the Bilston Urban Village development and be rebuilt as a two-form entry primary school. The school will remain on its existing site for the 2018-19 academic year and transfer to its new home at Bilston Urban Village in 2019-20.
The expansion plans, approved by the council's cabinet, were put forward to ensure that there are sufficient school places in Wolverhampton to meet rising demand.
Reception admission limits for each school will be increased from 30 places to 60 from September 2018.
The admission limits for subsequent years will also be 60, enabling the schools to grow steadily year-by-year so that, by September 2024, each will cater for up to 420 pupils.
Councillor Claire Darke, Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for education, said: “Demand for educational provision in Wolverhampton has increased significantly in recent years, and this is good news as it shows people want to live and be educated in our growing City.
“The increase has principally been driven by a 24 per cent rise in births between 2002 and 2014, and despite the successful creation of more than 2,000 additional places since 2012, further expansion is now required to meet the needs of our growing population.
"At the same time, the number of local schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted has increased in recent years and now stands at 89% - the highest ever – meaning there is even greater demand for places within our schools.”
Spring Vale Primary School and Stowlawn Primary School will be expanded on their existing sites and the council will ensure sufficient accommodation is provided to support the increased number of places.
