More than £3 million has been allocated to two “very popular” York secondary schools to help them cope with increased demand.

Both Millthorpe School and Manor Church of England Academy are at capacity, with demand for places expected to rise at both schools in the coming years.

Overcrowding at Millthorpe School is leading to health and safety concerns, with pupils experiencing “crush points in narrow and awkwardly-shaped corridors”, according to a report presented to councillors.

In addition, vulnerable pupils eligible for free school meals are choosing not to eat lunch at the school, rated ‘good’ by Ofsted, due to the time it takes to queue and buy food.

Manor Academy, rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, was originally built to accommodate 900 pupils, but now has 1,140 – with class sizes of 32 pupils.

Areas where pupils move around the building are at a “critical point where no more small adaptations can be made” and any increase in pupil numbers will endanger the safety of pupils moving around the building, the report said.

The nearby housing developments at the Civil Service and British Sugar sites are expected to bring in yet more pupils in the coming years.

City of York Council’s executive agreed to grant the South Bank Academy Trust, which runs Millthorpe School, £1.9 million, while £1.1 million was granted to Manor Academy, which is run by the Hope Sentamu Learning Trust. 

At Millthorpe, the dining room area will be extended and two classrooms will be created out of an existing computer suite, while an under-used toilet block will also be removed.

An additional classroom and extra circulation space will be created at Manor Academy, with the outside ‘rotunda’ area becoming an indoor space.

Department for Education rules state that local authorities are only allowed to invest in ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ Ofsted-rated schools when investing in growing the number of local school places.