Plans signed off for 330 extra primary school places

Plans to create 330 extra primary school places at two Surrey primary schools have been approved.

Surrey County Council’s Cabinet gave the go-ahead for expansions at Sythwood Primary School in Woking and Cleves Junior School in Weybridge.

At Sythwood, a new teaching block and other facilities will allow the school to provide an extra 210 places from September for pupils aged four to 11.

Cleves Junior will also gain a new teaching block and other facilities as part of renovations creating 120 places from September for pupils aged seven to 11.

The expansions are part of the county council’s unprecedented programme of investment to meet demand for school places driven by rising birth rates.

Linda Kemeny, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Educational Achievement, said: ‘Surrey needs to find more than 11,000 places over the next five years and these planned expansions form part of that.

‘But rising demand for places is not being matched by funding from the Government leaving us with a shortfall of more than £30million in each of the next two years alone to create the places we need.’