More than £3 million is set to be spent on building additional classrooms and a new special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) unit at schools in Wolverhampton.
City of Wolverhampton Council has confirmed it will allocate £3.1 million to create more places at Grove Primary School in Ettingshall, as well as classrooms and a new SEND unit at Field View Primary School in Bilston.
Plans for Field View Primary School
The proposals for Field View Primary School on Lonsdale Road include two new classrooms, along with extensions and refurbishments to accommodate two new 30-pupil classes by 2028. A ‘bulge’ reception class is scheduled to begin in September 2027, followed by another 30-pupil class in 2028.
A new SEND unit, featuring a sensory room and ramps, will open with an initial eight places in 2027, expanding to a total of 16 places by 2028.
Expansion at Grove Primary School
At Grove Primary School on Caledonia Road, three new classrooms will be built to address rising pupil numbers in the coming years.
Council’s Rationale
A report by the council stated: “The point-of-entry bulge classes at Field View Primary School and Grove Primary School and the establishment of a resourced provision at Field View Primary School would secure school places to help meet demand in [the area] for both mainstream and SEND.
“This would allow more families the opportunity to attend a preferred school and to ensure the council’s statutory duty - to ensure the sufficiency of provision - can continue to be fulfilled.”
Rising Demand for Specialist Places
The demand for specialist school places in Wolverhampton has increased significantly. The number of pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) has risen by more than 50% in the last five years, from 2,185 in 2021 to 3,352 in 2026.
Autism spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties are the most common requirements, all seeing year-on-year increases.
Speech, language and communication needs alone rose from 714 children in February 2025 to 809 in February 2026, an increase of over 13%.
The council noted that demand is increasing faster than places can be created, forcing it to place children in independent provision within Wolverhampton and outside the city, which comes at a high cost. The average cost per child per year is around £76,000.
