Parents and staff welcome plan to expand school (From The Oxford Times)

Parents and staff welcome plan to expand school

5:00pm Monday 11th March 2013 in News

PLANS to expand another county primary school to cope with a rising birth rate are expected to be signed off this week.

Education bosses are expected to approve plans for Five Acres Primary School, Ambrosden near Bicester, for this September’s term.

Oxfordshire County Council wants to increase its annual intake from 45 to 60, boosting total numbers from 315 to 420 over the next seven years.

It is part of a county-wide attempt to create more than 500 extra school places.

Headteacher Darrell Wood said unlike some schools where plans to extend numbers have been controversial, staff and parents were pleased with the plans.

Bicester South county councillor Charles Shouler said: “Obviously with the changes in the way the houses are now, becoming more permanently occupied, rather than having soldiers coming in and out, there’s a more permanent base to the population.”

County council’s education cabinet member Melinda Tilley will meet with offers today to make the decision.

A report to Mrs Tilley said: “Additional classroom and supporting spaces will need to be created at the school to accommodate the increase in pupil numbers and a feasibility study is already underway to investigate how these can best be provided.”