Manor Hill First School could soon be opening its doors to more new pupils – as part of plans to meet the growing demand for school places in the town.
Under proposals by Staffordshire County Council, Manor Hill First School in Stone could increase its capacity from 100 to 225 places.
The proposed expansion is to accommodate additional children generated from nearby housing developments. The number of new homes is expected to generate in the region of 90 additional primary aged children, around 18 per year group.
The expansion will provide two extra teaching rooms, a new library space and portable ICT facilities, additional toilet facilities, improved reception, entrance and outdoor recreational facilities, and additional car parking spaces.
The county council’s cabinet has today agreed to publish a statutory notice, giving local people four weeks to comment on the proposal. After this, a formal decision on the expansion will be made in the New Year.
If agreed, work on the additional accommodation could start in spring 2019, with potential completion by autumn 2019.
County Councillor Philip White, Cabinet Member for Learning and Employability said:
“Staffordshire is a growing county, and with this growth comes an increased demand for school places. It is important that we as a county council plan ahead and ensure there are enough school places available, so we can continue to offer good and outstanding school places for children in the county.
“We recently held a consultation into the expansion of Manor Hill First School, which received a positive response from local people, so we are looking to go out formally in the New Year with our proposals. With two new housing developments in Manor Hill’s catchment area providing 592 homes, it is essential that the school increase its capacity, so we can continue to ensure there are enough school places to cope with this increase demand.”
“We want to ensure every child in Staffordshire has the opportunity to access to the best education, and this also means ensuring there are enough primary school places in areas such as Stone to meet the growing demand and support parental choice.”
