DEMAND for places at Archbishop Holgate’s Church of England Academy has boomed so much that kitchens and recreation areas need to be extended, York’s education bosses say.

Since nearby Burnholme Community College closed, the number of 11-year-olds starting secondary school at Archbishop Holgate’s has been steadily increasing.

Although the school has already increased its classroom space to accommodate the growing pupil roll, it now desperately needs bigger kitchens and social spaces to cater for all its students.

A report by assistant director for education Maxine Squire says that in September this year, 271 new Year 7 pupils are expected to start at Archbishop Holgate’s, even though the school’s official admission number is only 216.

The school is expected to increase its official published admission number from September 2018 to 243 to keep up with demand, but even after that date, numbers are expected to exceed 243.

York Press:

The report says: “The rise in pupil numbers at the school is putting pressure on the existing catering facilities and social areas. This places additional operational pressures on the school in terms of its day-to-day management of pupils.”

New facilities are needed to make sure the school can keep up a high standard of education as pupil numbers grow between 2016 to 2020, it adds.

Now education planners at City of York Council are asking for £206,000 to fund a new building at the front of the school, which could come from York’s “basic needs” given by central government.

The planned building is “modular” or prefabricated, and could be up and running by September this year.

An earlier plan to build in a school courtyard had to be shelved as design work showed it would cost significantly more – more than £280,000 – and may not be ready until January 2017.

The school had also asked if “section 106” planning payments from the Derwenthorpe development could pay for some of its extensions, but that option had to be ruled out as the contributions were set aside for providing more primary, not secondary, education.

Cllr Stewart Rawlings, the council’s executive member for eduction, will be asked to approve the plans at a public decision session on Tuesday, July 26.