The island’s biggest secondary school will be over capacity by some 400 students at the start of the new school year this September.

The Department of Education says it is exploring ways of solving overcrowding issues at Ballakermeen High School in Douglas.

There’s room for 1,370 students in the school’s permanent classrooms. It’s expected that there will be about 1,750 pupils attending Ballakermeen in September.

Four mobile classrooms are helping to deal with the overspill and planning permission is being sought to erect two additional mobile classrooms on the school playing field to cope with demand. But it won’t be enough.

The additional capacity of each mobile classroom is 30, adding 180 spaces overall if planners approve the new mobiles, and bringing total capacity to 1,550 - leaving a shortfall of 200 spaces.

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture says it is working closely with headteachers to ’achieve a long-term solution to resolve the issue around student numbers in the east’.

A spokesperson said: ’Measures are being explored by the department to alleviate capacity issues. Any broader discussions will involve a number of key stakeholders, and if necessary, will go to public consultation prior to any resolution being finalised.’

Addressing concerns about the impact overcrowding has on students, the spokesperson said: ’We are committed to ensuring that all students have access to the highest quality learning environment possible and schools offer excellent facilities across the island.

’The student population in the east is higher than other areas of the island. There is sufficient capacity overall in the east of the island when considering the number of school places and the capacity available at both Ballakermeen and St Ninian’s High School sites.’

Overcrowding at Ballakermeen has been continuing issue, while student numbers at St Ninian’s - also in Douglas - are historically under capacity.

According to the Isle of Man Population Atlas website, school year groups overall are actually shrinking or remaining static.

The research site also says deaths exceeded births by 278 last year, giving the largest natural population decline in the Isle of Man since the 1980s.