Multi-million-pound plans to permanently expand a Wolverhampton secondary school have been formally submitted to the local authority, responding to a significant and sustained rise in pupil numbers across the city.
Details of the Proposed Expansion
City of Wolverhampton Council has agreed to refurbish and remodel Colton Hills Community School in Goldthorn Park. The initial phase involves a £2.6 million contract for new changing facilities, which the council's cabinet is set to approve on 21 January 2026.
The work will include a single-storey extension to the school's sixth form, providing new changing rooms and showers, plus a new archive and record office. A further extension will deliver a larger gym and bigger changing rooms to accommodate the growing student body.
Addressing Rising Demand for School Places
The school on Jeremy Road has already felt the pressure, providing a temporary 'bulge class' in September 2025. To meet anticipated long-term demand, the school will need to expand further from September 2027.
This permanent expansion will increase the school's published admission number (PAN) from 161 to 240. This will provide an additional 79 Year 7 places from September 2027, leading to 395 extra permanent places in total by September 2031.
A council report highlights the scale of the demographic challenge. Pupils starting secondary school in Wolverhampton in 2026 have seen their year groups grow by more than 320 pupils since they began primary school in 2018. Furthermore:
- The current Year 5 cohort has grown by nearly 312 pupils.
- The Year 2 cohort has increased by more than eight classes in three years.
- Key Stage 2 classes (Years 3-6) have already increased beyond the historical average.
Future Plans and SEND Provision
Alongside the general expansion, 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 permanent expansion, scheduled for 2027, will incorporate the required space for this SEND base within a standalone building. Ongoing design work estimates the cost of this second phase at around £6.1 million.
The council noted that the estimated cost per place of £19,326 is significantly below the national average, but cautioned that this is a high-level estimate pending further surveys.
