Wigan primary school earmarked to increase pupil places

Cabinet members approved recommendations to increase the school’s intake in September 2019 from 210 to 315, 15 students per year group.

The education planning team has foreseen a “significant further increase” in required pupil places from the start of next term in the Orrell area.

Cath Pealing, interim assistant director for education at Wigan Council, said: “The additional places at Orrell Holgate have been proposed to meet potential demand due to an increase in the number of children requiring reception places in the area.

“Our projections indicate that this trend is set to continue over the next few years which means that additional places may be required.

“The proposal would allow Orrell Holgate to be expanded, supporting them to accept an additional 15 reception age children from September 2019 if required.”

According to the minutes from the cabinet meeting, Orrell St James Catholic Primary, was enlarged in 2013 and has now reached its full capacity.

A town hall report reads: “The reason for selecting the (decision) recommended was that the main alternative was to build the same enlargement at another school in the area.

“The costs involved in the other option were the same or more.”

A decision notice for the plans say the expansion will take the form of ‘classroom extension to existing building with some internal remodelling’.

The news comes just after the council announced that a body designed to oversee the school admissions process is to be reinstated.

Councillors were recently informed that the task of ensuring enough places are available across the borough is predicted to become ‘more difficult’.

This is because the borough’s falling birth rate and the number of housing developments expected over the next two decades will cause different demand pressures on the system.

Officer Julie Hough previously told councillors that the town hall’s current system for allocating school places performs “exceptionally well” but that there were “challenging times ahead”.