A school in Ryton has been given an additional £334,200 of funding to cope with rapidly expanding class sizes.
According to documents from the local authority, the number of pupils at Thorp Academy in years seven to eleven stood at 1,278 in October 2022. However, this is estimated to expand to 1,509 by October 2025.
Pupil numbers increased by 140 between October 2021 and October 2022.
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Applications for additional funding to manage class sizes are usually capped at £111,400. However, given the scale of the expansion, the Ryton school has applied for £334,200 - three times the capped amount.
Any growth or expansion due to parental preference is not eligible to be funded from the growth fund. For example, if pupils could be accommodated in another primary school within a two-mile radius of the growing primary school.
Secondary schools are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Councillors on Gateshead Council's Schools Forum decided in favour of the application on Thursday, January 12.
Thorp Acadamy, on Main Road, started its life as an academy on September 1, 2014, and is part of the Northern Academy Trust. The Trust operates 10 primary schools and 12 secondary schools throughout England.
In 2016 an OFSTED inspection deemed that Ryton Academy required improvement. However, by April 2019 the school achieved an overall grade of "good".
The 2019 OFSTED report stated: "This is a rapidly improving school. Leaders, including governors, provide strong leadership that is unashamedly focused on improving the life chances of every pupil.
"The vast majority of pupils are motivated to do well. They apply themselves to their work and are supportive of the learning of their friends. During the inspection, pupils were observed working well independently and in groups.
"The workbooks of most pupils are neatly presented, organised and demonstrate that they commit to improving their work over time."
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