ALMOST £800,000 will be invested to provide more secondary school places to address short-term growing demand, according to a council report.
The local authority’s ruling cabinet members will discuss the proposals next week, which sets out a plan for Darton Academy and Outwood Academy in Carlton.
Darton Academy is set to be re-modelled - costing £642,477 - while £150,000 will be allocated to Outwood Academy to provide a mobile classroom.
Under the proposals, Darton’s current ground floor science department will be turned into three classrooms, while the viewing room will become a fourth. Six further classrooms will be created by reconfiguring its ‘creative suite’ and a mezzanine floor above its textiles and electronics area.
The report said: “There are three schools that serve the central planning area, providing 4,100 secondary school places - Horizon Community College (2,000 pupils), Barnsley Academy (900) and Darton Academy (1,200).
“Current projections indicate a rising demand in school places in the central planning area. There is a demand for an additional 83 places in September 2019 and 60 more in 2020. The demand from 2021 onwards has been addressed, with proposals to look at various options including a new free school which will be built and run by a multi-academy trust.
“These proposals will not affect its viability to open at the earliest of 2021.”
Horizon has agreed to accommodate 20 pupils in both years, albeit temporarily, while Barnsley Academy - another school in the central area - declined to take on a 30-pupil ‘bulge class’.
The council turned its attention to Outwood Academy and although it is not situated within the central area, its Carlton location was deemed close enough and the mobile classroom will enable them to take on 30 pupils, subject to its board members’ approval.
“If the proposals are accepted, current data suggests there will still be a shortage of ten places in September 2020,” the report said. “The council feels that it will be in a position to accommodate these places across the school estate without the need for further work to take place.
“The total cost of accommodating the shortfall in school places is estimated at £792,000, which equates to about £5,500 per place.
“Although a significant element of the cost is indicative, effort has been made to ensure a reasonable degree of certainty.”
