There are 36,900 children in the borough in 2006 (Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit Mid 2006 estimate). Of those 19,100 are male and 17,800 are female. Projected figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that by 2029 there will be a 3% decrease in the number of children.
Between 1992 and 2000 the number of births in the borough declined sharply from over 2,400 to under 2,000 a year. As a result, the number of children in our primary schools fell from 16,194 in spring 2003 to 14,620 in spring 2007. This fall of almost 10% has been matched by a net reduction of 1,414 in the number of primary school places in the borough. Two additional primary schools have been opened since 2003 to meet growing need in the south of the borough. The Council has sought to avoid school closures as far as possible. This 8% reduction in overall capacity has been achieved by the removal of temporary classrooms, creation of foundation units and ICT suites, amalgamation of infant and junior schools, and by adapting surplus accommodation for other uses. Further action over the next two years will ensure that the level of empty places remains within the Council's target of 10%. Since 2002, birth rates have shown a small annual rise. The primary school population is likely to remain stable at the present level for the next five years.
The historic decline in primary pupil numbers will affect secondary school populations over the next five years. In anticipation of this, 232 places (net) have been removed since 2003, keeping the level of empty places below the Council's 10% target. In the same period one additional 600-place secondary school has been opened in the south of the borough. Further changes in secondary capacity are likely as the borough enters the national Building Schools for the Future programme in 2010.
