Maidenhead & Windsor

Oldfield Primary - one of Maidenhead's most popular and over-subscribed schools where demand for places is more than three times the number available every year - could be in line for expansion.

The Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough is proposing a feasibility study into an option that would retain the infant classes on the existing Chiltern Road site and build a brand new school a short distance away at Bray Road to cater for the older children.

A report will be discussed by Windsor and Maidenhead councillors at the children's services overview and scrutiny (O&S) panel on Tuesday 21 July before going to cabinet for decision on Thursday 27 August.

If the new school went ahead, it would be grant funded by the government's Primary Strategy for Change (PSfC) programme, which aims to rebuild, remodel or refurbish half of all schools nationally to make them fit for the 21st century, both as learning environments and as community hubs.

Cllr Eileen Quick, lead member for Windsor and Maidenhead children's services, said the council was committed to examining all options for providing the best possible educational opportunities for local children.

She said: "Oldfield is one of the borough's most popular schools and our figures show that demand will keep on rising in the years ahead. We have a responsibility to explore ways of offering new and better solutions so that good schools can continue to flourish and cater for larger numbers of pupils in the future.

"The option of a new build at Oldfield is in its earliest stages and a feasibility study will show us if this is the right way forward."

The report to O&S highlights the steadily rising primary school numbers in east Maidenhead's four primary schools, with more than 100 additional children on the roll in year groups 1 to 6 than in 2001. At Oldfield alone, demand for the 30 available places every year has continually increased - from 78 in 2006/07 to 99 in the current year (2009/10).

Under the government's PSfC, the Royal Windsor and Maidenhead Borough has been allocated £3m for 2009/10 and £5.4m for 2010/11. Twelve schools are already benefitting in either the current or next financial years with additional classrooms or extensions.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead