‘Sheer number’ of pupils moving to Rochdale schools during academic year becoming ‘difficult to manage’

The ‘sheer number’ of pupils moving to Rochdale schools after the academic year has started is becoming ‘difficult to manage’, the council says.

A new report shows that nearly 300 pupils made ‘in-year’ applications to the borough’s schools during 2020/21.

These came after the October census cut-off date, causing a real headache for education chiefs, who have a statutory duty to offer every pupil living in the borough a place.

The authority’s pupil places manager Fay Davies says it is ‘particularly hitting’ secondary schools, which had to find space for 88 extra pupils over the 12-month period.

She believes Rochdale’s ‘popularity’ with families, combined with less spare capacity at schools in other parts of Greater Manchester is driving the trend.

Addressing a meeting of the Pennines Township committee, Ms Davies said: “The numbers we are replacing have grown hugely. I think part of it is the number of families moving into the borough, as covered in the primary school report.

“And it’s partly schools in other areas where there are less secondary school places than are needed. Manchester, Bury and Oldham have all had squeezes within their secondary schools because of the rise in numbers and the spare capacity is no longer available.”

Ms Davies told councillors that in 2020 Rochdale had a larger in-year cohort of pupils than in 2016 – when particularly high numbers put ‘great strain’ on primary schools.

“We are really struggling across the board,” she said.

“It’s quite difficult to manage the sheer number of children that are now applying in-year.”

One of the key problems for council education bosses is that funding is based on the October census – and the money for anyone joining after that ‘cut-off’, is not received until the following year.

However, the duty to provide a place remains.

“Last year we had 299 additional pupils arriving on the roll after the census day,” Ms Davies explained to councillors.

“So, the children we get arriving after the October census, our schools get no money for – and we had 300 more pupils last year. 

“That additional pressure put on our schools perhaps doesn’t reflect what’s in the media, that we have more money.

“Because effectively we have children moving in after there is no funding until the following year. We are always behind on funding by a year – that’s difficult when you have such a high in-flow.”

A report on the need for secondary school places in Rochdale borough between 2022 and 2025 will go before the council’s cabinet later this month.

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter