Council wins support for more Primary School places

Council Wins support for More Primary School Places



ALL eight of Reading Borough Council’s bids for funding to help cater for the rising demand for primary school places in the town have won approval, it was announced today (July 18).

The Department for Education’s announcement confirms the Council’s strong case that substantial levels of funding are necessary to help cater for the predicted demand for a further 2,520 primary school places in the town. That rising demand was also confirmed in the latest Census figures, which showed a 34% increase in children aged 0-4 years old - the second highest rise in the whole of the South-East since 2001.
Today’s announcement from the Targeted Basic Needs Programme confirms support for the eight schemes the Council put forward following its 'Let’s Talk Education' consultation earlier this year.
Work will now continue to confirm the details of the funding, along with ongoing detailed design of the preferred options in partnership with the schools, parents and local communities. The overall funding, outline design, and the response to formal expansion proposals will be considered by the Council in early Autumn when final decisions will be made.
The preferred options being developed are:

• Alfred Sutton Primary School expansion
• The Ridgeway Primary School expansion
• Geoffrey Field Infant and Junior School expansions
• EP Collier Primary School expansion
• Southcote Primary School expansion
• A new Academy serving the Oxford Road
• Churchend Primary Academy expansion
• St Michael’s Primary School expansion

John Ennis, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Member for Education and Children’s Services, said: “These bids were the result of the Let’s Talk Education public consultation, which also included detailed conversations with head teachers and Governing Bodies of the schools involved. Today’s decision to support all of the preferred schemes is very welcome and will go a long way towards helping the Council meet the continuing demand for school places, in collaboration with local schools and communities.
“The schools at the heart of these proposals have worked hard to establish the feasibility of tbhe proposed expansions expansion option and this news will enable them to continue to ensure that they develop to support the achievement of all pupils. This support is great news for Reading and I look forward to seeing the detailed options shortly.”
A national shortage of school places in being mirrored in Reading. Among the reasons for this are the been a ‘step increase’ in the number of children of primary school age living in the town.
Ongoing economic difficulties also mean that young families who would traditionally move out of Reading into the suburbs and into larger properties, are now remaining where they are. This is placing a significant added burden on school places in Reading, particularly in the Central and Central West areas of Reading.
Current estimates are that in Reading an additional 12 forms of entry - or 360 primary school places - will be needed every year from September 2013 and current indications are that 210 of those 360 places will be needed in the west of the borough, 60 each to the south and east, and a further 30 to the north of Reading.


• There is a national shortage of school places in England which was reported by the National Audit Office in March 2013, with the indication that England requires 250,000 more school places in the next year to meet demand fuelled by the growth in birth rates.
• The NAO noted that this growth is not equal across the country with particular pressure in urban areas inn London and other places with strong economies. Reading is in the band of highest need as assessed by the NAO.
Reading Borough Council Press Releases can be found online at http://www.reading.gov.uk/news/pressreleases/