New houses and baby boom will hit schools later this year, experts warn
Education experts have warned the number of new houses being built in Northampton, combined with a baby boom, will put real pressure on schools as soon as September this year.
In a report which was due to be discussed by members of Northamptonshire County Council today, Alan Fitz from the authority's strategic planning team, warned a number of new secondary and primary schools would have to be built over the coming decades to cope with both the town's increased number of houses and the rising number of children.
He said: "We would expect to see primary numbers increase immediately, indeed it is likely the match between pupil numbers and places available will be very tight from September 2010, with a particular pressure point in the town centre."
Discussing the pressure on school places over the coming decade, he added: "The projections indicate that by 2021, pupil numbers are likely to be around 400 per year group in excess of current capacity."
To solve the upcoming problem, the council has published a list showing where it would like to see new schools built in the coming years.
The list identifies a number of sites where primary schools could be built, including Upton, the Timken site in Duston, the St Crispin's development, the Princess Marina site, the Ransome Road area in Far Cotton and Dallington Grange.
The list also highlights both Dallington Grange and Upton as possible locations for new secondary schools.
Mr Fitz said: "It is possible that at least one, and probably two, further new secondary schools will be required to accommodate the growth up to 2026."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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