DOZENS of Worcester children are being sent to schools in Malvern as pressure on secondary places in the city continues, a report has revealed.
For the September 2026 intake, 67 pupils were unable to secure a place at their preferred Worcester secondary school and were instead offered alternatives further afield.
Schools in Malvern were among those used to accommodate the overflow.
The report, due before Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet on Thursday (July 2), confirms that while the council can meet demand in the coming years, it will increasingly rely on “surplus places at the next nearest schools” – including The Chase and Dyson Perrins – rather than building a new secondary school in Worcester.
ON THE BUS: Some pupils face a daily journey of up to an hour to get to school (Image: Getty Images)
The council acknowledges the consequence is more travel for pupils, stating: “It is recognised that more young people may have to travel further to school.”
Under current policy, journeys of up to 60 minutes are considered acceptable for secondary-aged children.
The report notes that “it has not been possible to maintain any surplus of places in Worcester City secondary schools for several years,” forcing the authority to look beyond the city boundary.
Malvern, along with Droitwich, Pershore and Stourport, has become a key destination for displaced pupils. In some cases, this has triggered transport support from the council, with officials warning that costs are likely to rise.
The report states “additional revenue funding is highly likely to be required” to cover home-to-school transport.
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Demand is being driven by a combination of housing growth and parental preference. Worcester schools remain popular with families outside the city, the council says, further squeezing available places for city children.
The report says the number of primary and pre-school age children living in Worcester is forecast to reduce over the next seven years, but an influx of families in the thousands of homes being built on the edge of the city means secondary school places will be at a premium.
Instead of building a new school, the council plans to expand existing ones. Proposed changes could deliver around 75 additional places per year group – above the estimated need of 60 – through expansions at schools including Tudor Grange Academy and potentially Bishop Perowne and Blessed Edward Oldcorne.
At the same time, the council is moving to formally abandon plans for a new secondary school in Newtown Road, removing £33.6 million of borrowing from its capital programme.
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The council’s previous Reform administration had stepped away from the £63m project to save on borrowing costs but opposition councillors had voted against plans to remove it from the capital programme completely.
The coalition of Green, Lib Dem, Conservative and independent councillors now in charge of the council appear to have changed their minds and on Thursday are set to pull the plug on the scheme once and for all.
Education chief Dan Boatright-Greene, then an opposition councillor, urged leaders to come up with a school building plan back in November, adding: “No investment is not an option.”
What do you think? Should a 60-minute journey to school be considered acceptable for secondary-age pupils? Let us know in the comments.
