Bearsted to get its new primary school - full details

Wednesday 12th April 2017

BEARSTED is to get a new primary school - with a 60 pupil intake - based at the Kent Medical Campus near the M20 at junction seven.

There will also be a special school on the same site.

The Leigh Academies Trust, which looks after 10,000 pupils at 15 academy schools in Kent and south east London, will run both, after beating competition from the Valley Invicta Academies Trust.

The free schools are to be called:

- Bearsted Academy, a secondary special school based at J7 of the M20, near Maidstone.

- Maidstone Primary Academy, a brand new primary with 60 pupils each year to share a site at J7 of the M20 with Bearsted Academy. Like Bearsted Academy, it will open in September 2018.

Bearsted and other parts of Maidstone have been suffering issues with parents being unable to get polaces in the schools of their choice.

As the borough's house-building programme continues, local peole fear that pressure will only mount further.

For Maidstone MP Helen Whately, it is the successful culmination of pressure she has applied on the Education Funding Agency, to get new primary places for Bearsted as well as relieve pressure on local families who need special schools.

Mrs Whately said: "This is fantastic news. We badly need these schools, and this announcement will give parents peace of mind that their child will have a good school place to go to.

"Together with Kent County Council, I’ve been urging the Government to commit the necessary funding, and I’m pleased that they have listened.

"Now it’s critical that everyone involved moves quickly to get the schools built and opened in time for pupils to start in September 2018.”

But Maidstone borough councillor Val Springett said in a statement to Bearsted Parish Council last night: "Unfortunately, although quite a lot of hard work has been put into this proposal, no one thought to consult Maidstone Borough council on the site proposed and this has been a major oversight."

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