IN a bid to provide enough school places to cope with the baby boom, Poole is seeking funds for a new junior school.

Borough of Poole has a valuable site, at the former Fourways in Constitution Hill Road, which it is prepared to use, to avoid the high cost of land purchase.

And the council is also seeking funding to expand Oakdale Junior School from four forms of entry to six forms of entry, adding 40 places in Years 3-6 in September 2014.

Cllr Mike White, cabinet portfolio holder for major projects, Borough of Poole said: “We are pleased that cabinet is recommending to council for a bid to be submitted to government for funding to build a new junior school on the former Fourways Day Centre site in Parkstone.

“Poole is facing pressure on school places as increased numbers of children currently in Key Stage 1 move through the system. This pressure is particularly acute in the south west area of the borough.

“Courthill Infant School and Lilliput CE VC Infant School are very popular schools that feed into Baden-Powell and St Peter’s CE VC Middle School. Although this school was expanded in 2011 to accommodate 30 additional school places, there is clear evidence that this area of Poole will need extra places to meet demand.”

Any new school would have to be an academy or free school and the council will be seeking sponsors.

If the bid is successful for 2013/15 it is anticipated the council would receive in the region of £3.2million for the works plus £0.15m towards professional fees. Any shortfall in funding would need to be made up from other resources including basic need and capital maintenance grants.

The council expects to receive around £1.4m for the expansion of Oakdale Junior School if that bid is successful. The school is rated outstanding by Ofsted and is significantly oversubscribed.