Plans to expand Goosnargh primary school to move forward following cabinet approval
Plans to progress an expansion programme at a Preston Primary School to mitigate the mounting pressures on places forecast over the next two years have been approved today.
On Thursday 5 September, cabinet agreed to undertake a public consultation on the proposal to permanently expand Goosnargh Oliverson's Church of England Primary School, which will gradually increase the number of places at the school from 210 to 420.
Goosnargh Oliverson's was one of a number of schools in the Goosnargh, Grimsargh and Longridge areas that submitted expressions of interest to work with the council to provide additional places through expansion in June 2022.
The county council has since worked closely with the school and the Blackburn Diocese Board of Education to develop the current proposal.
The recommendation is to increase the published admission number by one form of entry, increasing the reception intake from 30 to 60 places for September 2025. This would be delivered initially via temporary accommodation, with a permanent capital build in place from September 2026.
County Councillor Jayne Rear, cabinet member for Education and Skills, said:
"The expansion of Goosnargh Oliverson's Church of England Primary School will eventually deliver 210 new places in an area where we know demand is rising.
"This is a significant increase and one that is needed given the scale of projected new housing across the Preston primary planning areas.
"Providing any additional accommodation for an increased number of pupils will always need to be carefully managed to ensure existing schools are not impacted.
"I would like to give special thanks to Goosnargh Oliverson's Church of England Primary School for coming forward with an expression of interest for expansion.
"We're working closely with the school and the Blackburn Diocese Board of Education around the proposal and we are now keen to hear from local residents."
A public consultation on the plans will begin on Monday 16 September to Sunday 13 October 2024. Information will be listed here: School place provision planning - Lancashire County Council