PROPOSALS to create additional places at two Bournemouth primary schools will go before cabinet members next Wednesday. (MAR 25)

Another Year Three class is now needed at Queen’s Park Junior and Stourfield Junior to ensure there are enough spaces to meet the need of children transferring from the associated infant schools.

Queen’s Park is an academy so determines its own admission arrangements but Stourfield is a community school so the expansion needs to be approved by councillors.

The extra places will mean both schools will have five forms of entry – 150 pupils - in Year Three in September 2016. There are no changes proposed to any other Bournemouth primary schools.

The report going before cabinet also warns that extra secondary school places could be required as early as September 2017, to cope with the extra primary pupils Bournemouth has seen over the past few years.

However, all secondary schools in Bournemouth are now academies so it is up to them to decide if and when to increase capacity.

The report also states that the number of applications for reception school places for September 2015 is up on last year, which could possibly force the council to create additional capacity at the last minute.

Council officers are to continue to monitor the numbers of people seeking school places, particularly with the relocation of Parkfield School, which opened in Bournemouth in 2013 but is due to move to a site at Hurn, Dorset this September. Officers warn this has the potential to create additional demand for places in Bournemouth if parents can’t travel to the new location.

Deputy Council Leader Nicola Greene, cabinet member for education and children’s services, said: “We have seen a dramatic increase in births over the last five years which in turn has put pressure on the number of primary school places needed in Bournemouth. This demand has been met through careful planning and working closely with schools and the securing of government grants to fund the cost of the school building projects.

“We will continue to monitor the situation in Bournemouth to ensure that every child has a place and find further options should they be required.”