Leicester City Council to create 1,500 primary school places

Up to six schools in Leicester could be extended or remodelled to create more than 1,500 extra primary school places.

Leicester City Council has outlined how it proposes to spend £16m of government money to meet a predicted rise in pupils, due to rising birth rates.

Work costing £15m is already in progress to create an additional 2,500 pupil places at 15 of the city's 82 primary schools.

The new proposals will be subject to public consultation.

The options include:

• A £1m extension which would provide three new classrooms at Hope Hamilton CofE Primary School

• A £3.2m expansion of Marriot Primary School into the neighbouring Knighton Fields Centre

• St Mary's Fields Infant School, in Rowley Fields, could begin teaching junior school age children. The school would be remodelled and expanded at a cost of £4m

• Christ the King Catholic Primary School, in Western Park, and Scraptoft Valley Primary School would both expand into nearby school sites due to vacated by autumn 2014

• The age range taught at the Madani school could be extended to include primary provision, with new premises being bought or leased

The options are due to be considered at the next meeting of the council's children, young people and schools scrutiny commission on 29 October.

Councillor Vi Dempster, assistant city mayor for children, young people and schools, said: "Addressing the increasing demand for school places is an absolute priority for the city.

"We are very keen to hear people's views."

The projects would be funded with money from the government's Basic Need capital fund.