Secondary school places in Wokingham fall short of demand
WOKINGHAM Borough Council has admitted there are not enough secondary school places in the borough.
At the Extraordinary Executive meeting held on Monday, March 7, Cllr John Halsall, leader of the council, said despite an increase in spaces, there is still a shortfall for students.
He said: “The council was expecting an increase in applications this year and worked with schools across the borough to increase the number of places available.
“We successfully negotiated with Piggott, Emmbrook and St Crispin’s schools to increase the total number of secondary school places available in the borough by 176.
“Despite this success, there is still currently a shortfall in places within Wokingham borough.”
Cllr Halsall explained that in 2022, 93.76% of pupils in Wokingham received an offer from their preferred list and 76.21% received their first preference, an increase on the previous year.
The council is hoping to resolve the issue by spending £6.7 million over the next three years as part of a longer programme to expand Piggott, St Crispin’s and The Emmbrook to meet an increase in the number of pupils entering secondary school for the next five years.
This is a temporary increase and the council expects a return to last year’s levels by 2028.
Cllr Graham Howe, executive member for children’s services, said: “Wokingham borough is a great place to raise a family, and our schools are top notch. Because of this, our schools are in high demand and we have a shortage of places.
“Expanding Piggott, St Crispin’s and The Emmbrook schools will meet the current need, and the strategy will help us determine how to meet future needs.”
The council has agreed with the schools to a number of improvements, including installing high quality modular buildings later this year, to allow for additional capacity in line with year-by-year needs.
Funding for the scheme will come from several sources, including a grant from the Department of Education and developers’ contributions from new housing in the borough.
Derren Gray, headteacher of Piggott School, said: “The Piggott School continues its commitment to working with the local authority to meet the local community’s need for places at the school in current and future years, and welcomes the announcement of this investment in the school estate.”
Cllr Gary Cowan, Independent Borough Councillor for Arborfield, questioned why Bohunt wasn’t selected with developments underway at Arborfield Garrison and plans for 4,500 houses at Hall Farm. His call comes on the back of a campaign to see the Bohunt expanded – at the moment it stops at the end of Year 11, and pupils have been going on to Farnborough College for sixth form.
Cllr Halsall said: “Bohunt was considered, but growth in year seven places would be linked to the school’s sixth form proposals, and would depend on a funding decision for that project.
“The report notes that additional capacity may be agreed at other schools.”
The council’s executive also agreed to implement a secondary school places strategy which looks at school place planning, modelling future trends and forecasting numbers to meet demand.