More school places to be created in Worksop and Harworth

Nottinghamshire County Council is planing to invest the money over the next two years to expand primary and secondary schools to cope with the growing influx of families.

More primary school places will be created in Harworth, while 300 extra places are planned for Outwood Academy Portland.

Work is also underway to provide 95 more specialist school places per year in the county over the next five years.

According to a report which went before councillors last week, the council’s figures do not take into account an increase in need for places in Harworth if developments go ahead on the Harworth Colliery and Tickhill Road sites.

Councillors agreed to fund a feasibility study to look into the construction of a new primary school and the expansion and reconfiguration project in the existing secondary school building.

Councillor Philip Owen, chairman of the county council’s Children and Young People’s Committee, said: “We are committed to ensuring that children across our county have access to a good quality and education, and we have a duty to provide a sufficient number of school places in Nottinghamshire, to meet growing demand.

“We are continually working to analyse the figures and predict where school places will be needed. This £16 million investment will mean that we can provide extra capacity where it is needed over the coming years.

“This is an investment in our children’s future. The next few years will be an exciting time for school developments, with expansions and improvements planned across the county."

The money will come from the council’s basic allocation budget, as well as contributions from housing developers building homes in the areas where school places are needed.

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