Will GSA really harm Hinchingbrooke?

My FOI request eventually yielded a 2018 report from the County Council examining the future of secondary provision in our area and asking whether there was a case for a new school in Godmanchester.

Of course the report's answer to that question was that places could be found in the schools around Huntingdon for all who needed them up until 2028, and that a new school in Godmanchester would cause falling rolls at Hinchingbrooke School and so reduce its funding.

However, my reading of the report tells me that in 2018 there were enough surplus places in the area's schools to allow hundreds of out-of-catchment families to send their children to the most popular schools, Hinchingbrooke and St.Ivo; but by 2028 or even before, the number of 11 to 15 year-olds will have increased so much that Hinchingbrooke and St.Ivo will not have spare places and all students will have to attend their nearest school, including the less popular schools: St.Peter's, Abbey School and Sawtry.

Technically there will be a place for every pupil but there will be no choice.

Hinchingbrooke School have already attempted to have Godmanchester removed from its catchment area once, but was allowed to increase its intake by 50 pupils a year instead.

Extensive house-building in Brampton means demand for places at Hinchingbrooke will continue to increase, so the threat to Godmanchester pupils, of being removed from their catchment will not go away.

The population projections in the report easily support the case for 600 extra school places in the area.

The picture it paints, of two popular schools drawing increasing numbers from the catchment areas of the unpopular ones, supports the case for having more schools to choose from.

Especially if you agree with me that super-sized schools aren't the best solution.

Council Report into Secondary Provision:

Secondary Provision for Godmanchester & Huntingdon.pdf

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