School may offer 300 extra places to meet pupil surge
ASECONDARY school could undergo a major expansion.
An extra 300 places look set to be created at Matthew Moss High School in Marland in order to cope with an expected surge in pupil numbers.
If approved Matthew Moss will become the latest school in the borough to be extended to accommodate Rochdale’s growing population.
Over the next seven years the number of Year 7 pupils needing places at secondary schools in the borough is expected to rise from 1,686 to 2,036.
In October 2016 Cabinet approved increasing the number of Year 7 places at Matthew Moss from 180 to 210.
Councillors are now being asked to increase this again to 240, which would eventually mean an extra 300 places in total at the school.
A report set to go before cabinet warns that if the expansion is not approved other options would have to be considered.
It states: “If extra capacity cannot be added at Matthew Moss Secondary and with every other secondary school in the borough due to be full to capacity, either temporary classroom accommodation would need to be put in place or the authority would need to offer places out of borough.”
In the last few years an extra 250 secondary school places have already been provided or are currently being built across the borough.
Since September 2016 Holy Family in Heywood, Cardinal Langley in Mid- dleton and Hollingworth Academy in Milnrow have been extended.
Extra places will also be in place for September 2017 at both Kingsway Park and Falinge Park.
And Middleton Technology School had a major restructure in 2013/14 to accommodate an extra 60 children per year group.
In September the Observer reported how education chiefs were considering opening a new free school in the borough to cope with the extra pupils.
Cabinet was due to consider the Matthew Moss proposals last night (Tuesday).