When and how the public can share views on plans for 600 pupil Nottinghamshire primary school

A public consultation will start next week to gather views on a proposed new primary school in Rushcliffe which will have more than 600 places.

Nottinghamshire County Council has announced plans for the survey on the school in the new Fairham Pastures development.

The ongoing project involves 3,000 homes to the south of Clifton, along with a business park, recreational spaces, Gypsy and traveller pitches and a primary school.

The increased population from the 3,000 homes is expected to leave 630 primary-aged children in need of a nearby school place by 2035.

As part of a cash contribution for the Fairham Pastures site, developers have allocated a three hectare space for the new primary school near the centre of the development.

The school will have 630 pupils aged five to 11 and include a 39-place nursery.

By law, all new schools that open in England must do so as a free school, which are set up and run by Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs).

Local consultations tend to take place for these new schools, to publicise them to potential sponsors and gather feedback from the community before a local council starts the process to select a MAT to run the school.

This feedback will serve to help the council finalise its specification for the school in the wider community.

The consultation will start next week on Tuesday, March 18 and will run for six weeks until April 29.

The council report states that the “expansion of existing [school] sites” was considered but there is “limited capacity at other schools”.

Council papers also say the school will start off with two classes per year group initially but will have the “ability to expand” as more homes are built and occupied.