Shortage of GCSE places in county schools revealed

Catmose College said 18% of applications for GCSE years had come from outside the county

Rutland’s state secondary schools are all full for GCSE pupils, with no spare place currently available, officials have said.

All Year 10 and Year 11 places at the county’s three secondary schools are taken, with some capacity in the lower years, reported the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Gill Curtis, Rutland County Council's head of SEND, inclusion and learning, revealed the shortage of places at the latest meeting of the Rutland Schools Forum.

Mrs Curtis also explained the majority of applications for places at two of the three schools are from outside the county.

Across Rutland 45% of secondary school applications are from pupils living outside the county, largely in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire.

Currently at Uppingham Community College 57% of applications are from outside the county and the number is higher at 65% at Casterton College in Great Casterton.

Catmose College in Oakham has 18% of applications made from outside Rutland.

Mrs Curtis said: “We had a meeting with the Department for Education (DfE) and they are fully aware of the situation and, as usual, went away from the meeting scratching their heads.

"We are seeing some flexibility, but in the earlier years.”

There is currently space in Years 7 and 9 but the officer said these places could be taken due to families moving into new-build housing.

Rutland and Stamford MP Alicia Kearns said recently she had been hearing from parents who have been trying to find places at Rutland state secondary schools due to the impending rise in public school fees.

The Labour government is due to charge a 20% tax on private school fees from January, although it may face a legal challenge.

A DfE spokesperson said: “Ending tax breaks on private schools will raise revenue for essential public services like the state education system, so that every child has access to high-quality education.

“The government works to support local authorities to ensure that every local area has sufficient places for children that need them.”

Additional reporting by Dan Martin