COMMUNITY cash totalling six figures will be used to help boost pupil places at two Barnsley primary schools.
The council has agreed to use £275,000 of section 106 money - cash set aside by a developer to benefit the community as part of planning approval - to put towards increasing the number of places at St John’s Primary in Penistone and at Wombwell Park Street Primary.
Despite dwindling budgets, Barnsley Council outlined a three-year schools spending programme in 2015, totalling more than £9m to be spent up to 2018.
As well as general maintenance work, the spending plan also includes funding school extension and expansion works to create extra space to take in more pupils. The two schools were included within those plans.
The cash injection from the section 106 money - which totals £114,764 for the Penistone school and £160,319 for Wombwell - will go towards longer term plans to create 210 additional places in the Penistone area and 105 for Wombwell.
Last year the borough provided 3,069 reception class places and the forecast for reception intake this academic year was 2,918, and 2,773 for 2018/19. This increases to 2,865 in 2019/20 and then dips to 2,843 the year after.
The pressure on places is an ongoing challenge for the borough and although forecasts indicate this is being managed successfully by the council and schools, new housing growth and other influential factors are constantly reviewed.
Wombwell Park Street Primary has already began expansion with three additional classrooms, and last August the Chronicle reported that a two storey extension could be added to St John’s Primary at Penistone in a development to create six new classrooms.
Primary schools are not the only ones feeling the strain on places. Secondary schools are also under pressure.
Worst affected will be the town centre and Penistone areas, with shortfalls looming in future years.
The first step to avoid a shortage crisis of secondary school places is to create 250 by building a three-storey extension at Penistone Grammar School.
Three secondary schools have also been named in a council report looking at where 250 extra schools places can be created in the central area of the borough.
A feasibility study is being carried out focusing on Barnsley Academy, Kendray, Horizon Community College and Outwood Academy Carlton, looking at how it would be possible to extra pupils through either better use of existing space, making modifications, alterations or extending the buildings.
That review is expected to be completed by late February.
