Two schools to expand to create 380 new places

Two schools will benefit from expansion projects to create new places for children

More than 380 places for students will be created at two Gloucestershire schools after council chiefs approved a grant of almost £8m.

Severnbanks Primary School in Lydney and Henley Bank High School in Brockworth will benefit from expansion projects.

Linda Cohen, who is the cabinet member for education and skills at Gloucestershire Council, said new homes and new families mean there are more children needing school places.

"This isn't about spending for the sake of it," she said. "It's about planning ahead, using money wisely, and making sure we're building not just homes but the services and the infrastructure people need alongside them."

"We could sit back and wait for the problem," she added. "Or we could act now – and today we are choosing to act."

She said the expansions aim to ensure every child in the county has a place at a good school.

The council has secured £5m in government grants for the projects.

"That's not money from the public purse, that's money from developers and money directly from the government," Ms Cohen said.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reports that £3.18m of developer contributions will be allocated to Severnbanks, along with £1.98m of grant funding.

The primary school's capacity will expand by 210 places, with the money used to update facilities and the school's administration area and create six new classrooms.

Henley Bank will receive £2.6m of developer funding to create 150 places for children aged 11 to 16 by improving facilities.