Increasing birth rate forces city to increase school places

Senior city councillors have agreed that Wykebeck Primary and Bracken Edge Primary will each have an extra 15 reception places from September 2012 – increasing their total number of pupils from 315 to 420.

Councillors also this week agreed to change the age range of Carr Manor High School from 11-18 to four-18 years – so its capacity will be increased from 965 to 1,175 with 30 reception admissions.

The existing school will be replaced with a building dedicated to the primary age classes – and their eventual 210 pupils.

Leeds Council officials said the expansions were necessary as demand for school places was growing as more families moved into these areas of the city and the birth rate had also increased.

The decisions about Wykebeck, Bracken Edge and Carr Manor schools were taken following public consultation periods and statutory notice periods.

Members of the council’s executive board agreed that all three schools should expand for the academic year starting in 2012.

Board members also agreed begin formal consultations about expanding two other schools in the city and opening two new schools in time for the 2013/14 academic year.

Rawdon St Peter’s primary and Morley Newlands primary schools may expand while two new schools could open in the Beeston and Harehills areas of the city.

The councillors also decided to consider expanding St Peter’s primary school in Bramley.

As the school has unfilled places, a statutory consultation process is not required.

However, this year’s requests for places will be analysed and the results used to influence future decisions.

Coun Judith Blake, executive board member for children’s services at the council, said: “The increased demand for primary school places means we have to reassess the size of certain schools to ensure there will be places available to every child.”

The public consultations on Rawdon St Peter’s and Morley Newlands and the two new schools will begin on September 12 and last until October 21.

Officials said the outcomes were unlikely to be considered before November.