Almost half of councils at risk of not meeting rising demand for secondary school places within the next five years

49 per cent of councils across England are at risk of being unable to meet the rising demand for secondary school places within the next five years, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.

New analysis of Department for Education figures and local pupil forecasts by the LGA warns that more than 125,000 children face missing out on a secondary school place by 2022/23.

The LGA said councils urgently need to be given powers to force academies and free schools to expand if additional spaces are needed in the local area and voluntary agreement cannot be reached.

With nearly two thirds of secondary schools now academies, this is the only way to ensure councils can fill their statutory duty to ensure every child has a school place.

Councils also need to be given back powers to build new schools in areas where they are needed if it is impossible for local academies or free schools to provide the places. Currently, although councils have a duty to make sure there are enough spaces in an area, all final decisions have to be made in Whitehall.

The LGA analysis reveals that unless more secondary school placements are created, 12 local authorities will face a secondary school place shortfall in 2018/19, rising to 23 in 2019/20, 41 in 2020/21, 57 in 2021/22, and 66 in 2022/23.

Richard Watts, chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “As the LGA has previously warned, the school places squeeze is now about to hit secondary schools. More and more families will face growing uncertainty when trying to secure their child’s secondary school without action.

“Councils have worked hard to help create almost 600,000 additional primary places since 2010. This is no small feat. However, as those children move on to secondary schools, the majority of which are now academies, securing new secondary places in the areas where they are needed is becoming increasingly difficult.

“Councils are working with one hand behind their backs to help as many pupils as possible receive a place at their first choice school.

“If we are to avoid this looming secondary school places crisis, councils need to be able to force existing academy schools to expand if voluntary agreement is impossible and must be given back powers to open new maintained schools themselves.”