Plans to enlarge village primary

EDUCATION bosses have set out plans to enlarge Kegworth Primary School.

Leicestershire County Council aims to have the increased capacity in place by August 2021. Kegworth Primary is getting an extra classroom.

In all some £5m will be spent on enlarging three schools in total in the county.

It says a combination of new housing developments near the schools and increasing birth rates in general have prompted the move.

County Hall cabinet member for children and young people, Coun Ivan Ould said: “It’s a priority of the council to ensure children have access to first-class local schools and we remain committed to creating more places where there is a growing demand.

“These plans for these three schools are examples of this approach.”

The council is consulting parents on its plans for the three schools and will be seeking views until March 24.

More Leicestershire schools are to be expanded in the financial year starting in April.

The council has approved a sum of £19m to create just under 1,100 more places at schools in the coming year.

That is on to top of £13.7m allocated last year to create 1,000 additional place in 10 schools.

The county council said a further allocation of £17.3m has been made in the 2019/20 programme and £9.78m in the 2020/21 programme for more special educational needs and disability (SEND) places, with some of the new provision already up and running in the current academic year.