The City of Wolverhampton Council has committed to a £2.6 million investment to expand a local secondary school, addressing a significant and sustained increase in pupil numbers across the city.
Addressing the Demand for School Places
Colton Hills Community School in Goldthorn Park will be refurbished and remodelled to permanently accommodate an additional 79 students in its Year 7 intake from September 2027. This decision comes after the school already provided a temporary 'bulge class' this past September to handle an immediate surge in applications.
The council's report highlights a pressing need for more secondary school places. Figures show that the cohort of children starting secondary school in Wolverhampton next year has grown by more than 320 pupils since they began primary school in 2018. This already exceeds the historical average increase of 300 pupils.
Details of the School Expansion Project
The £2.6m funding will be used to enhance the school's existing facilities. Key improvements include the refurbishment of the school gym, the remodelling of toilets and showers, and the extension of both male and female changing areas to comfortably accommodate the extra students.
This expansion will formally increase the school's Published Admission Number (PAN) from 161 to 240. This change will not only provide the additional 79 Year 7 places from 2027 but is projected to create 395 permanent places in total by September 2031 as the larger year groups progress through the school.
Future Plans and a New SEND Base
Looking ahead, the council anticipates that a further, more substantial permanent expansion will be required from September 2027, which is expected to cost around £6.1 million. The council noted that the estimated cost per place of £19,326 is significantly below the national average.
In a related development, Colton Hills Community School has applied to establish a special educational needs (SEND) resource base for pupils with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties. The design for the future permanent expansion building will incorporate the required space for this new SEND facility, creating a valuable resource for the wider community.
The demographic data supporting this expansion is compelling. The city's current Year 5 cohort has grown by nearly 312 pupils, while the Year 2 cohort has expanded by more than eight classes in just three years, confirming a long-term trend of rising school-age populations in Wolverhampton.
