New school to cater to 700 homes backed by council

Councillors have backed proposals for a new primary school in a Kent town.

A Kent County Council committee voted to support the creation of a one-form-entry school on Mascalls Court Road in Paddock Wood, which could open from 2028.

The school would cater to 700 homes completed or due to be built within three years, with a further five parcels of land set aside for housing, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Trudy Dean said the proposal had "been around for a decade" and that she was "really pleased" it would include a nursery and special educational needs places.

Council official Nick Abrahams told the committee on Tuesday that the number of children who would need a place would "really increase significantly" in the town.

The local authority's cabinet member for education will now have to decide whether to release funds for design work and to legally establish the new school.

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