‘Build new high schools or face a places crisis’
Population explosion prompts warning
ROCHDALE could be facing a high school places crisis if two ‘desperatelyneeded’ new schools are not built, education chiefs have warned.
A population explosion means there’s a predicted 50 per cent increase in the number of secondary school places needed over the next few years.
And to cope with the growth town hall bosses are bidding for government funding to open two new high schools - one in Middleton and one in the Pennines area.
But there’s a ‘significant risk’ the Middleton school, won’t be open in 2020, as originally planned.
Council chiefs say it’s because last year’s snap General Election has led to an 18-month delay in the Department for Education’s school funding programme.
And it could mean some Rochdale kids due to start high school in September 2020 will have to travel outside the borough for their education.
A report which went to Cabinet on Wednesday stated: “Due to the general election last year there has been a delay of 18 months in the opening of the current new Free School bidding round by the Department for Education.
“This is going to cause a significant risk that the new school in Middleton will not be opened on time, with the effect that there is a possibility of not having enough secondary school places available in September 2020.”
There’s been controversy over the two councilowned sites earmarked for the new schools - Bowlee Park in Middleton and next to Littleborough Primary School - as both are currently home to parks and playing fields.
But a council spokesman warned ‘hundreds of children face long journeys or even leaving the borough for their secondary education’ if the schools are not given the go-ahead.
And council leader Allen Brett said that the current rules mean that the authority has ‘no option’ other than to provide the land - and if it doesn’t it could miss out on £36m in government funding.
He said: “We know from the number of children at our primary schools that we desperately need these two new schools.
“We have no option but to provide the land because if we do not, we face the risk of children having nowhere to go when they leave their primary schools and having to pay a huge sum because we would lose the opportunity to bid for government funding.
“We know that people living near to the sites will have concerns but our hand is being forced by the government.
“If there are any alternative sites we would, of course, give them serious consideration.”
If government funding is secured the schools will be run by the Altus Education Partnership, the organisation behind the award-winning Rochdale Sixth Form College.
Bosses at Altus are now seeking advice from the DfE, while contingency plans are also being drawn up to cope with the potential places shortfall.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Thursday morning the council said: “At a meeting of the cabinet committee last night councillors agreed to support the submission by Altus Education Partnership (which runs Rochdale Sixth Form College) to the Department for Education (DfE) to open free schools in Middleton and the Pennines area.
“The schools are needed because there are not enough secondary school places to match the number of children in primary schools.
“By law, the council has to provide land for the schools but will not run them as the government has decided all new schools must be free schools.
“Councillors approved the lease of land at Littleborough playing fields to Altus with two conditions; firstly that if the government does not consent or if feasibility assessments show the site is too costly to develop, then the lease of land is approved at Rutherford Park in Wardle Road.
“Please note - there are still lots of steps that need to be followed, including a decision by the Department for Education to fund the free school, and whether the proposal get Secretary of State (government) approval.
“There will be opportunities for consultation and consideration of your views.”