More than 1,100 children without school place - report

The Lancashire-wide figure of 1,169 pupils missing from education excludes those living in Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen

More than 1,100 of a county's children do not currently have a school place, a council report has said.

The Lancashire County Council report said 1,169 children were "missing from education", due to a growing number moving into the area and existing "pressures" on school places in "some parts" of the area.

It said Preston had the highest number of children out of school across all of Lancashire’s 12 district council areas.

The report added that most of the children were "within the admissions system" and their parents were "engaging with the school registration process".

Preston has the highest number of children out of school across all of Lancashire’s 12 district council areas

The document Preston was "under pressure" for pupil places, but did not give a specific total for how many children in the city were not in a school.

Significant expansions of two Preston primaries are expected – with 210 new places coming to Lea Community Primary School and Cottam Primary School, phased in over seven-year periods.

In January, a county council cabinet meeting heard a "downward trajectory of births" and a slowing in the forecast pace of housing growth had led the authority to review its options to meet what it believed would now be a "lower than originally anticipated shortfall" in places.

Members were told the focus would be on "a broader range of solutions" which promoted "flexibility", supported existing schools and were "timely" and did not oversupply.

The Lancashire-wide figure excluded those living in the Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen council areas, and also did not include children being home educated.