Housebuilding boom means school must double in size

Goosnargh Oliverson's Church of England Primary School will eventually have 420 places

A primary school is planning to double the number of places it can offer to cope with rising demand due to more houses being built in the area.

Lancashire County Council said the number of places at Goosnargh Oliverson's Church of England Primary School in the village near Preston would gradually increase from 210 to 420.

A bigger intake was needed "given the scale of projected new housing across the Preston primary planning areas", Councillor Jayne Rear said.

The reception class will become a two-form entry, being boosted from 30 to 60 places in September 2025.

Pupils will initially be taught in extra temporary accommodation, with a permanent expansion planned to be built for September 2026.

Ms Rear, cabinet member for Education and Skills, said: "Providing any additional [school] accommodation for an increased number of pupils will always need to be carefully managed to ensure existing pupils are not impacted."

The council was “working closely” with the school and the Blackburn Diocese’s education board, she said.

A public consultation on the plan, which has been approved by councillors, will run between 16 September to 13 October.