Too many kids, not enough school places

Adam Hewitt • Published 21 Jan 2010 10:00 0 Comments

THREE primary schools are being expanded to cope with a mini-boom in births.

The schools earmarked to take on extra pupils - Wilson Primary in west Reading, Katesgrove Primary just south of the town centre and St John's Primary in Newtown - are in a strip across central Reading, but there should be enough school places to meet demand in the northern and southern parts of the borough. Borough education leader Cllr Jon Hartley told Monday night's Cabinet meeting: "It's clear that capacity, particularly in that central band of the town, is going to need expanding urgently."

Expensive refurbishment projects at other primary schools are likely to be delayed while Reading Borough Council rushes to meet the expected boom in demand shown by its birth pattern analysis. Shortages are likely from this September if no action is taken, with 75 more children than places and it will cost around £500,000 to get temporary classrooms up at the three schools ready for them.

Lib Dem group leader and education spokeswoman Cllr Kirsten Bayes said: "It's frustrating that we're having to choose between modernising our schools and providing more places, but that's a choice that's been forced upon us by this Government."

Cllr Hartley rejected that charge, saying that the state of the economy meant no major party was planning huge increases in education spending so the Government was not to blame.

The meeting heard that some shortages of places were forecast in Caversham, but that parents there were more likely to choose private or South Oxfordshire schools, meaning ultimate over-demand for Reading borough primaries north of the river was unlikely.

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