School place planning is often cited as one of the top reasons for making local population projections – or forecasts – so what’s happening to the school population in England now?
After a considerable time when schools were generally getting smaller, and all the talk was of “falling rolls” and school closures, the last decade has seen growth. This affected primary schools first (pupils aged 5-10) and more recently has started to impact on secondary schools (pupils aged 11-15). It won’t be long before it affects (vocational) further education colleges and (academic) sixth form colleges (students aged 16+).
Rising rolls don’t necessarily mean new schools. There may be some slack in the system which will fill up first, and local authorities may choose to expand existing schools rather than create new ones. Thre following is a round-up of news this week that illuminates current developments in England.
Residents of Chilmington Green in Ashford Kent are complaining about the design of the new school in their estate:
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/new-school-looks-like-detention-centre-212638/
“members of Ashford Borough Council’s planning committee have criticised its appearance, with one saying the look of the site reminds them of a “detention centre”.
“When built, the primary school will be one of four serving the 5,750-home development, but frustrated councillors say the structure is “overbearing”…”
This illustrates one of the difficulties of planning in England: the two tier system of local government in non-metropolitan counties means that the county council is responsible for planning school places, but the district council is responsible for town and country planning. The story also illustrates the huge scale of new housing developments in parts of the affluent south east of England. Ashford is in many respects a workaday town, closely connected to the channel tunnel. Ashford Internation is the last station in England before the tunnel disappears under the sea at Folkestone. I suspect the two councils will resolve their differences, and the school will be built. The housing will not be very attractive if parents can’t find a school place for their children.
A similar story is reported in Cambridge. The fenland university city is no longer just a higher education version of Hogwarts… it is one of the most thriving industrial centres in England. Little or no metal is bashed there though…. Cambridge’s industry is hi-tech: semi-conductors and pharmaceuticals. As in Kent, the thriving economy demands new houses, which in turn means new schools. And as in Kent, there are arguments between the tiers of local government about the appearance of the new building: https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/cambridge-schools-marshal-group-wing-16942509
In nearby Norfolk there is some controversy about the proposed new Alderman Swindell school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs in Great Yarmouth. Such schools are often viewed with some caution by local residents. In this case the controversy seems to be around the closure of the former Alderman Swindell primary school. We’ll see how this one develops. https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/education/first-look-at-new-school-on-alderman-swindell-great-yarmouth-site-1-6289422
In the town of my birth, Watford, a new primary school is planned: four storeys high with a playground on the roof. Just outside London, but within the M25 London orbital motorway, Watford is less than 20 minutes from central London by train, and is highly popular with London workers who want a little more space, for a little less money than is available in the big city. I am fascinated by the proposed design of this school, which will presumably have a very small footprint. My own primary school is only a mile away. And in the 1960s still had the remnants of a farm tucked away around the back. Yes, all this was fields when I was a boy. https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/17913456.gp-surgery-cards-first-look-new-school-st-albans-road-site/
A field in Rempstone Road, East Leake in Nottinghamshire is due to be turned into a large housing estate with a school. The county council is clearly keen to be on the front foot to be sure that the school is ready for the population expected to arrive in the new developments in the village. https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/primary-school-built-notts-village-3342745
Finally, some happy pupils in Gloucester, who think their new primary school building is “epic”. As is often the case, once the thing is done everybody quite likes it. https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/inside-new-65m-primary-school-3333942
Let’s see what happens next week!
Demographic Insight 