Numerous schools are set to expand, including onto land previously designated for a graveyard, over the coming years in order to meet growing demand for places.
In total, £25million has been allocated for Medway Council to plan its strategy over the next two years for the growing population and fight for school places.
In March, the Department for Education allocated the Towns’ authority £25.5 million in Basic Need funding for 2026 to 2028 and an additional £4.8 million of High Needs Provision Capital for 2025/26.
With the Local Plan in the works and the predicted growth of the Medway Towns, the estimated cost to increase the sizes of six existing schools and build up to 11 new ones would be between £94m and £114m to match demand up until 2040.
The report proposed actions the council will take to match the pressures in different areas for primary and secondary schools, as well as special education needs and disability (SEND) places.
Expansions of many schools are planned, and the authority is also looking at using land previously designated for burials to meet the need for schools.
Previously, 1.6ha of empty land at Cornwallis Avenue, Gillingham, had been allocated as a new site for Inspire Academy to provide SEND places, with the remainder of the 3.35ha site being reserved for the expansion of the nearby Woodlands Cemetery to accommodate burials over the next 100 years.
However, the report argues attitudes towards burials are likely to change in the next 100 years, and so the space may not be needed and could be better utilised for school use.
Councillors at the the local authority’s cabinet meeting on Tuesday (Aug 26) supported the recommendation that the land be reallocated to be used for education.
Previous expansion projects agreed have already created an additional 530 permanent mainstream school places and up to 80 SEND places.
Currently, a total of 14 expansion or relocation projects are planned and will use the funding from the government, creating 1,435 new school places by 2030.
Deputy leader Cllr Teresa Murray (Lab) said this plan was doing what many residents asked in relation to housing developments and was ensuring the infrastructure was in place before new houses were built.
She said: “It’s absolutely critical to show we’re doing what lots of people said, getting ahead of population expansion and making sure the infrastructure is there and, at the same time, not forgetting about all the people we need to provide for now.
“This funding from government means you, Tracy, and the whole children’s team are able to work with academies and our own schools to think about what we need for the future and put those plans into practice with a long lead time.
“This is so people don’t need to worry about whether or not infrastructure will be there.”
The Hoo Peninsula is facing growing demand from increased births and housebuilding and it is suggested to relocate the Marlborough Centre, for pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), from Hoo St Werburgh Primary School to the currently vacant building at Twydall Primary School.
In Gillingham, there are forecasts of growing demand for places in years four to six but a surplus in reception and years one to three so the authority plans to use those surplus places to accommodate the shortfall in other years.
Chatham and Rochester planning also face demand due to inward migration to the area resulting in increased numbers in some higher year groups.
The authority proposes to expand the New Road Primary School, from a 1.5 form-of-entry (FE) school to two FE – meaning two classes for each school year. This is estimated to cost £2.5 million.
Similarly, the council is considering expanding Greenvale Primary School from a one FE school to two FE, doubling its capacity, however funding for the estimated £4 million cost has not been found yet.
The housing projects which are planned for the Capstone Valley, which are to total 3,950 homes, are undoubtedly going to require extra school places, but the council says schools which are included in the developments will meet much of the demand.
The 800-home East Hill development includes a two FE primary school, which is anticipated to be 80% occupied by residents from the development and the nearby 450-home Gibraltar Farm scheme.
Only land for the primary school is to be provided, and the school will be constructed using the Basic Need funding from the government and is estimated to cost £10 million.
However, the authority also expects to collect £4.2m in developers’ contributions, also known as S106, from the Capstone Valley developments, which it says it will use instead of the government funding as it comes in, freeing up the Basic Need funding for other projects.
Medway Council’s portfolio holder for education, Cllr Tracy Coombs (Lab) outlined the plan and the expansions and reallocations across the Towns.
She said: “This is a large number of expansions covering all sectors of our education community.
“It means we’ll be able to offer quality education in local schools, that fewer pupils with SEND will be making long journeys to out-of-area placements and are able to stay local to where they live.”
Across the border in the Maidstone area, the Lidsing development of 2,000 homes is also to include a three FE school but discussions are ongoing between the Medway and Maidstone authorities about how to cope with those children who move in before the new school is completed.
The report outlines that much of this funding will come from S106 contributions agreed with the developers.
In total, Medway has agreed £34m in S106 funding, £18m which has already been received and £16m spent. A further £20m is to come in developments already begun or with permission.
For secondary schools, a £6m increase in the capacity of Strood Academy is planned to address rising demand and a similar expansion of Brompton Academy is proposed, though the latter has not yet found a source of funding.
Permanent expansions are also planned for four other secondary schools – Victory Academy, The Robert Napier School, Hundred of Hoo, and Greenacre School – up until 2030.
Additionally, in conjunction with the Local Plan, the report outlines an expectation of three new non-selective secondaries and either six expansions of existing selective schools or one new satellite site of a selective school, costing between £170m and £195m.
Similarly, with the primary school on the boundary of Medway in the Lidsing development, the plan outlines how, although Medway is to provide the secondary school provision for those residents, Maidstone BC will provide funding for the school.
S106 from the Lidsing development and other Capstone Valley developments will provide around £12m, but the report predicts an additional £28m to £33m will be needed.
Increased pressures on SEND provisions are also predicted and the council’s report suggests Danescourt School in Gillingham could be expanded to create a secondary school costing from £20m to £25m.
The council’s cabinet agreed to borrow £16.2m to fund the building of the expanded school, in combination with some government funding, as well as all other recommendations put forward.
