Almost a dozen East Lancashire schools are currently operating beyond their means – with more students than places.
The data produced by the Department for Education revealed these 11 schools all operated five per cent above their limits and mirrored the national trend.
This puts pressure on school capacity, with larger-than-optimal class sizes, which can impact children's learning and development.
Currently, 20 per cent of schools in Blackburn with Darwen have more children than places, higher than the national average of 18 per cent.
This is despite there being 29,595 school places in the borough, however, of which only 27,046 are filled, meaning there are more than 2,500 empty spaces.
The capacity of a school is based on the size of the available teaching space rather than the entire building.
Certain schools in the borough were massively undersubscribed.
Holy Trinity VC School, in Darwen, saw only 33 percent of places filled, and Darwen Aldridge Community Academy was operating at 66 percent capacity.
Elsewhere in Lancashire, 21 per cent of schools currently have more students than places, with the highest number of additional pupils being St Cecilia’s in Longridge, which has 14 per cent more students than places.
According to the most recent data, which was released for the 2023/24 academic year, the school has 556 students when it only has places for 488.
A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said:"As a local authority we have statutory duty to ensure there are enough school places available to meet demand over the coming years.
"In 2024/25 we commissioned 870 mainstream school places and 170 special school places.
"We are aware that a number of secondary schools are currently operating over capacity, as is the case nationally.
"The admission authority is responsible for dealing with admissions for the school and the county council only has that role in 8 out of 81 secondary schools.
"For academies, free and faith schools, governors and trusts determine the number of places available and decide whether they to go over their admission number as they have the space available to admit more pupils.
"A number of schools in Lancashire are subject to expansions to address shortfalls, others are expanding as part of plans to create more specialist provision for children with educational needs and disabilities (SEND), or to support the governments early years initiative to increase early years provision.
"Lancashire County Council meet with the DfE at regular intervals to discuss school place provision and the action we are taking. We also work with schools and their governing bodies to ensure they can manage budgets in accordance to their pupil numbers and will continue to uphold these practices working in collaboration with all key stakeholders ."
Nationally, secondary schools were 24 per cent over capacity, up from 23 per cent the year before and from a low of 14 per cent a decade ago.
The rate of spare places at secondary schools has slowed, as the recent peak in the school-age population is beginning to enter this stage in education.
Elsewhere in East Lancashire, Edenfield Primary School at 12 per cent and Chatburn Primary at nine per cent topped the charts for oversubscribed primary schools.
However, the rate of demand primary places being added has slowed dramatically due to the reduction in pupil numbers since 2018/19.
In Blackburn with Darwen, Tauheedul Islamic School for Girls and Blackburn Central High School are both 7.5 per cent over-capacity.
In March, the Department for Education revealed there were 8,000 more secondary school pupils on roll at special schools in England than reported capacity, which equated to 66 per cent of special schools being “at or over capacity”.
The three specialist schools in Blackburn with Darwen are currently operating at just under 10 per cent above their limits.
The government has since earmarked £740 million of funding to increase places for students with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).
READ MORE: One in five school children missed 10 per cent of school last year
READ MORE: Blackburn with Darwen’s 'hardest schools to get a place at' revealed
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “As part of our Plan for Change, we want every family to have access to a good local school for their child, breaking the link between children’s background and their opportunities in life.
“This investment is a big step towards delivering not only enough school places, but the right school places, supporting all children and particularly those with SEND, and plugging the significant gaps in provision we inherited.
“This investment will give SEND children the support they need to thrive, marking the start of a turning point for families who have been fighting to improve their children’s outcomes.”
A spokesperson for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: “We continue to work with all schools to ensure all pupils who require a school place, get a school place.
"We have increased capacity of places at four secondary schools, Witton Park Academy, Blackburn Central High School, St Wilfrids and QEGS.
“Between 2015 and 2022, Blackburn with Darwen has seen an overall decline in birth rates, and this is expected to continue.
"This means that future forecasted pupil places are decreasing, and we are currently seeing these lower numbers of pupils in the primary phase.
"This will eventually move to the secondary phase; therefore, pressures will start to decrease in the secondary schools over the next few years.
“Pupil numbers are monitored on a regular basis for over occupancy and under occupancy, along with annual work on forecasting future pupil numbers, meaning that Blackburn with Darwen council can address any future potential issues.”
Full list of East Lancashire schools operating above five per cent of capacity.
- St Cecilia’s, Longridge – 14 per cent over capacity - 488 student capacity, 556 actual number
- Edenfield Church of England Primary – 12 per cent over - 175 capacity, 196 actual
- Chatburn Church of England Primary – nine per cent over, 112 capacity, 122 actual
- Clitheroe Pendle Primary School – 8.7 per cent over, 321 capacity, 349 actual
- Sharneyford Primary School – 8.47 per cent over - 59 capacity, 64 actual
- Tauheedul Islamic Girls' High School – 7.75 per cent over - 800 capacity, 862 actual
- Blackburn Central High School – 7.5 per cent over - 900 capacity, 968 actual
- Rawtenstall St Paul’s – 7.1 per cent over - 264 capacity, 283 actual
- St Cuthberth’s Primary School, Blackburn – 7.1 per cent over - 210 capacity, 225 actual
- Hapton Church of England Primary School – 5.9 per cent over - 117 capacity, 124 actual
- Sacred Heart, Church – 5.2 per cent over - 210 capacity, 222 actual.
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