A £9.5 million expansion of Grove CE Primary School is set to move a step closer, with plans to create space for an additional 105 pupils and a new 39-place nursery to support growing demand for school places.
The expansion comes as continued housing growth in the north of Grove, near Wantage, has placed increasing pressure on primary school capacity, with the existing school no longer considered large enough to meet local needs.
Currently a single-form entry school with capacity for 210 pupils, Grove CE Primary School would become a 1.5-form entry school under the proposals. A new teaching block would be constructed alongside alterations to existing classrooms, allowing the school to accommodate up to 315 pupils.
Planning permission for the scheme is still being considered by Vale of White Horse District Council.
Planning documents submitted with the application state that the school is already struggling with its current accommodation, describing both the classrooms and the main hall as undersized.
They also note that while five classrooms are housed within the main school building, a further three are currently located in temporary accommodation.
The report accompanying the proposals explains that the investment is needed because of “pupil-place pressure in the north of Grove” resulting from ongoing residential development in the area.
Funding for the scheme has already been identified, with £8.3 million coming from Section 106 developer contributions secured through planning agreements, while the remaining £1.2 million will be provided by Oxfordshire County Council.
The overall budget for the new teaching block and associated alterations to the existing school buildings was approved by the county council last summer.
Next week, the council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, Dan Levy is expected to consider a recommendation to approve arrangements that would allow the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust to enter into a construction contract, subject to the necessary approvals.
If approved, the expansion will help provide additional education capacity for one of Oxfordshire’s fastest-growing communities while also delivering new nursery provision for local families.
Reporting contribution by Isabella Harris, Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for Oxfordshire, covering local politics, council meetings and planning decisions across six councils in the county.
