Rochdale facing pupil places crisis if delayed new free school does not open by 2023

Rochdale is at risk of not being able to offer every pupil in the borough a place if a new free school does not open in the Pennines by 2023.

The government gave the green light for two new secondary schools in the borough last year, under a programme which created thousands of new places in Greater Manchester.

While Middleton’s ‘Edgar Wood Academy’ is due to open its doors in 2022, plans for a school at Littleborough Playing Fields have been held up.

The delay has been caused by concerns over ground conditions – and particularly access – to the site, which led to the Department for Education considering other plots.

The shortfall of places in the Pennines township, which includes, Littleborough, Wardle and Milnrow, over the next two years will be mostly mitigated by Wardle Academy creating 100 extra places.

However, that will still leave around 60 children having to travel to schools in other parts of borough for their education.
 

Read more: Two new secondary schools approved by governmentPublished: 17 June 2019

It is understood the school will now be built on the playing fields following the Department for Education investigating potential alternative sites.

The council’s pupil places manager Fay Davies has warned that the borough would face serious difficulties if the school was not ready for the 2023 intake.

A recent council report forecasts a shortfall of 133 places in the Pennines in three years’ time.

Ms Davies told a meeting of the Pennines Township committee: “The shortage of places currently (forecast) for 2023 does rise significantly. 

“That is something I have continued to highlight with the Department for Education – that actually we will not cope in 2023 if our new school is not open.

“The timeline at the moment is that the school will be open and it’s very doable on that timeline and that’s what I’m pushing for.”

She also reassured councillors that officers had stressed the urgent need for the school – which will be run by Star Academies – in ‘very strong terms’.

“I have absolutely stressed with them at every opportunity the need for this school and the fact that currently we are full in Pennines in every single year group, and Wardle [Academy] has taken above its Pupil Admission Number in most of those year groups,” she said.

Councils are unable to set up their own schools under government rules, which state that only free schools – run by a private sponsor – may be created.

The situation has sparked anger among councillors in the area.

Councillor Tom Besford said: “I find it ludicrous that the council has a statutory responsibility to ensure all children have a school place but, at the same time, has no power to build new schools.

“This means, inevitably, solutions are found that cost the taxpayer money, which put additional pressure on existing schools and which cause untold distress to families and young people who are forced to travel outside of their local area to go to school –  because that breaks up communities and friendship groups.

Councillor Besford called for ‘significant pressure’ to be brought to bear on the government to ensure the school is delivered soon as possible.

“Looking at the figures that have been provided, I can feel the heartbreak coming down the line from families who for the next three years are going to find their choice of schools are not going to be able to accommodate them in their local area,” he said.

There is a possibility that Star Academies could open the school early in temporary accommodation, but again this would require funding from the government.

Councillor John Blundell said the situation was a ‘direct consequence of government policy’ and that warnings over academies and free schools had come to fruition. Councillor Janet Emsley added that it was ‘privatisation by stealth of the education system’.

However, Conservative group leader Councillor Ashley Dearnley disagreed, claiming the policy would have been similar under Labour, which introduced academies under Tony Blair.

While happy to put his name to a letter to the government on behalf of the committee, he warned against a ‘rose-tinted’ view of the ‘monolithic’ system of creating new schools under local authorities.

“We seem to be forgetting the main issues around the Littleborough site are to do with the location of it, which was undoubtedly difficult and bound to create a problem in building,” he said.

“And on top of that we have had Covid, which has had a serious effect on it. Those two things have made a difference.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “We are working closely with STAR Academies Trust and Rochdale Borough Council to develop proposals for the new free school. The local authority have been kept fully informed about operations at the potential school site.”

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter