STRATTON Primary School is included in a scheme to provide additional places for pupils in schools across Cornwall over the next two years.

On Monday, Andrew Wallis, Cornwall Council’s lead member for young people, visited two Cornish primary schools to see some of the works that are taking place to provide these additional pupil places.

The council is in the middle of a major £40-million investment programme, which will see almost 2,500 additional pupil places provided by September 2018 as a result of expanding existing primary schools across Cornwall.

The expansion works, which include the construction of extra classrooms, halls and kitchens in 25 schools, have been targeted to provide additional places where they are needed most.

Schemes have already been completed at nine primary schools. This has provided 900 additional pupil places.

Works are now being carried out at a further six primary schools, of which are expected to be completed by September 2017.

Expansion schemes will then be carried out at a further 11 schools over the following 12 months, providing a total of 2,414 additional pupil places by September 2018.

Cllr Wallis said: “We’ve already completed expansion schemes at nine primary schools and the council’s School Place Planning and Capital Projects Teams will be continuing to work hard together on a number of other schemes. Overall, we’ll be creating more than 2,400 extra primary school pupil places for September 2018.”

The remaining schemes being carried this year include work at Stratton Primary School, which will see internal alterations of adjoining Gregson Centre to provide three additional classrooms, taking the school to two form entry.

As well as investing in the provision of additional classrooms, the council has also spent £37.5-million carrying out essential repairs and maintenance at maintained primary and secondary schools over the past four years.