A new primary school is set to open in January to cater for the increasing number of families who have made Wokingham their home.
St Cecilia’s Church of England Primary, off Queen’s Road, is being partly opened by Wokingham Borough Council at the start of the spring term on Monday, 9 January. It will initially take pupils from years 3,4,6 and six.
Wokingham Borough Council said the new school will meet additional demand, and will ensure there is no additional pressure on existing schools.
St Cecilia’s, which will also take on some pupils from other schools, has capacity for up to 90 children at Key Stage 2. It will be run by the Keys Academy Trust, which has been given access to the building with a full tenancy to follow.
Councillor Prue Bray, Executive Member for Children’s Services, said: “We recognise that opening a school in the middle of an academic year is highly unusual, as did the Department for Education, but they agreed this was necessary to relieve pressure on a highly specific type and number of school places.
“We’re very pleased that this is going ahead, so that these children can enjoy the high standard of education they deserve, but would like to assure residents that there is still no need to fully open the school because there still isn’t the demand at this point.
“Our aim remains to offer all local children the opportunity to be educated in the area where they live and we’d like to thank Ofsted, the Keys Academy Trust and the Department for Education for their help in enabling us to continue working our very hardest towards that.
“We look forward to announcing a full opening at St Cecilia’s when the time is right and are confident that the trust will build on the solid track record it has established running eight other highly successful and popular schools in this borough.”
Hester Wooller, Chief Executive of the Keys Academy Trust, said: “We have always worked closely with Wokingham Borough Council to bring capacity to the education landscape in the area.
“It is due to our experience in opening new schools that we have been able to respond at such speed to support the growing demand for places for 7 to 11 year-olds within the borough and I would like to pass on my thanks to our central team for managing the opening amid the other pressing priorities at this time of year.”
St Cecilia’s has been funded by developers building about 2,100 homes in the North Wokingham major new community, part of the council’s current Local Plan to meet Government housing requirements.
The council added that it is making progress in its efforts to reform the system and secure a fairer quota for the borough in future.
Developers have also funded the adjacent neighbourhood centre, which includes a Co-op food store, community centre and car park.