Councillors to consider expansion plan for Drove

Swindon Council wants to refurbish Drove Community Primary School so that it can accommodate more pupils.

The number of places for children aged four to 11 would increase by 210 places, from 420 to 630 – equivalent to one extra form in each year group.

Since 2008 there has been an increase in demand for places at primary schools in the centre of Swindon and many have been oversubscribed, meaning some children have not been able to attend schools near their home.

The council said increasing capacity at the school would lead to an increase in the number of teaching and support staff there too.

Dr Nick Capstick, headteacher of Drove Primary School, said: “What it really will mean is we will have a stunning, completely refurbished primary school and a new building with a totally separate children’s centre, which will be state-of-the-art.”

He said the building would feel like a ‘whole new school’.

“In the end it will lead to a higher level of curriculum development and the kids will be getting a much better deal.”

The council has ringfenced £400k for the refurbishment, which will see Drove Children’s Centre move into the existing infant school building and a new floor built on top of it, and the existing children’s centre building refurbished into new classrooms.

Dr Capstick said it was good value for money because they would be accommodating the same number of pupils as a whole new primary school would, but for a tenth of the cost.

“This makes real economic sense.

“The bottom line is that building a new school costs between £2m to 4m or they could just spend £400k on refurbishing an existing school to take the same number of pupils.”

There were no objections to the proposals when the council held a consultation in December 2009 and January 2010 involving parents, governors and staff.

A planning application for the scheme is currently being considered by the council.

There is also a plan to expand Robert Le Kyng Primary School.