Coventry City Council is set to expand three secondary schools and deliver nearly 200 new specialist places for children with special educational needs as part of an ambitious £164 million investment.
Design work is already underway or in planning at President Kennedy, Westwood and Cardinal Wiseman secondary schools, with expansions at each set to add capacity ahead of September 2027 – when Coventry's largest primary cohort moves into secondary education.
The current Year 5 cohort stands at around 4,660 pupils, and the three expansions will together provide the additional forms of entry needed to accommodate this larger year group as it progresses through the city's secondary schools.
In Coventry's primary sector, Keresley Grange Primary School is set to expand from a published admission number of 45 to 60 – moving to two forms of entry – to address current pressure on places in that part of the city.
Looking further ahead, land has been identified for new primary schools in both Eastern Green and Keresley, ensuring that school places keep pace as these major new communities are built out.
Building projects are currently underway at Baginton Fields and Woodfield which will collectively create around 190 additional specialist places for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The places will be delivered in phases as each project completes.
In addition, three new primary and one new secondary Enhanced Resource Provision (ERP) are planned to open in 2026/27.
ERPs are specialist units embedded within mainstream schools, supporting pupils with additional needs to learn in an inclusive setting alongside their peers. Coventry already operates ten such provisions across the city.
Since 2017, 500 places have been added across Coventry's eight special schools.
Councillor Dr Kindy Sandhu, Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “We have seen extraordinary demand for school places in Coventry in recent years, and I am proud of how the Council and its partners have responded.
“The expansions underway at President Kennedy, Westwood and Cardinal Wiseman will ensure our secondary schools are ready to welcome Coventry's largest primary cohort in 2027, while our continued investment in SEND provision means we are meeting the needs of children with the most complex requirements.”
She added: “This is about making sure every child in Coventry has access to a good local school place – now and in the future.”
The school expansions and wider capital investment are set out in the Coventry One Strategic Plan and Education Capital Programme 2025-2029, which is due to be considered by Cabinet on 17 March.
The plan, developed in partnership with Coventry's schools, academy trusts and education partners through the Coventry Education Partnership, covers primary, secondary and SEND provision through to 2029 and will be monitored and updated annually.
Since 2019 the capital programme has funded a wide range of improvements to Coventry's school estate, with actual spend of over £88 million to date and a further £164 million of future project spend.