Dozens of new schools are needed in Leicestershire to meet growing pupil numbers, the council has revealed. 

Leicestershire County Council is expecting there to be more than 26,000 more pupils in the county by 2036, in part driven by large housing developments in the area and historic high birth rates.  

Efforts to meet that predicted demand have now been revealed in new documents. 

Oadby, Hinckley, Loughborough, Melton, Coalville, Ashby and Market Harborough have all been highlighted as areas where additional primary school places are anticipated to be required.  

Secondary schools will also be needed across Blaby, Harborough, Hinckley and North West Leicestershire districts, documents reveal. 

At least 40 new schools are predicted to be required in the next 10 to 15 years, a council spokeswoman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Existing schools may also be expanded.  

There are currently 285 state-funded schools in the county. 

Leicestershire County Council said it has seen a 9.5 per cent increase in the number of residents in the county since 2011, with a further 10.2 per cent growth expected by 2031.  

House building, economic migration, and immigration have all played a role in this, as did a period of high birth rates between 2007 and 2018. 

Capacity at secondary schools is a key concern as the children born in the 2007 to 2018 period now progress through higher years.  

Current secondary places are expected to be exceeded in the 2027/28 school year.  

A number of school expansions are planned to help manage this demand, but the council has warned, in some areas, space will not be "sufficient". 

Special educational needs is also proving a tricky area for the authority. 

Leicestershire County Council has seen a 140 per cent increase in the number of education, health and care plans issued to local children between 2016 and 2025, reaching 7,196 such plans this year. 

There are currently 1,856 spots for children with additional needs in specialist schools, as well as an additional 786 in units at mainstream schools.  

Demand for these places is "exceeding capacity", the authority has warned, despite work to increase available places.  

The authority is undertaking "feasibility work" as it considers a new special school in Market Harborough. 

Leicestershire County Council has now published its latest School Places Strategy, which runs from 2026 to 2031, and is seeking public feedback on this. The strategy aims to "ensure that schools are the right size for their community" as well as being "safe, accessible, inclusive, well maintained" and "provide a high-quality learning environment and facilities". 

To achieve this, the council said it must make sure it has "the right number of school places in the right place, at the right time". 

Charles Pugsley, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for children and families, said: "We are proud of our schools and want to make sure they continue to meet the needs of our growing communities. 

"With new housing developments and rising pupil numbers, it's vital we plan ahead to ensure every child has access to a good local school. We need your views to help us get it right." 

More information on the strategy, as well as the consultation, can be found on the Leicestershire County Council website. Residents can respond until Sunday 4 January.