Consultation planned on more primary school places for Maidenhead

The Royal Borough is to consult parents, teachers, governors and residents on a proposal to expand Maidenhead's popular and hugely oversubscribed Oldfield Primary School.

Cabinet will decide, at its Thursday 27 October meeting, which options for expanding the Chiltern Road school should go out to public consultation.

All options involve a permanent expansion of Oldfield from 30 to 60 pupils in each year group in time for September 2014. However, as the current site is not large enough to allow the school to double in size, it is proposed it becomes a split-site school with half the pupils taught at the existing site and half on a new site.

The two potential new locations are a former private school and land in the centre of Braywick Park to the rear of Stafferton Lodge.

If Cabinet approves public consultation on one or more of the options then a more detailed consultation document will be available from 7 November. It will be sent to all parents of children in Maidenhead primary schools and be downloadable from www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/consultation_current.htm. The closing date for responses will be Friday 2 December.

Cabinet will consider the feedback at its meeting on 15 December and decide whether to proceed to a second stage of consultation.

Cllr Eileen Quick, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, said: "There have been repeated calls over the years for more school places at this popular and successful school - and there is a real need to act now, with major new residential developments completed or under way in the east of Maidenhead, including St Mary's Park.

"I encourage parents and all interested parties to let us know their thoughts on the proposals."

As an interim measure it is also proposed that a temporary building be located on the existing site to allow an extra 30 reception year pupils in September 2012.

For parents applying for reception places for next September - some of who may already have submitted their application forms to the borough - there will be further information in the consultation document and at www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/ed_admissions_primary.htm

No decisions on this temporary expansion will be made until Cabinet meets on 15 December.

As well as new residential developments, the demand for additional school places is a result of the growing national birth rate. Local predictions are for just under 1,900 reception-age children in the borough by 2014 - 300 more than in 2006.

There are currently 842 reception places available in Maidenhead's 24 primary schools, 504 places in Windsor's 14 first schools, 90 in Datchet/Wraysbury and 136 in Ascot.

The Braywick Park site is currently home to Maidenhead Target Shooting Club and, if this site is selected, the council will work with the club to find a suitable alternative location.

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