Opening a new free school

We are proposing to build a new primary school to serve the Ledsham Garden Village housing development near Ellesmere Port.

The school site

The school will be situated within the Ledsham Garden Village development and will primarily serve families residing in this area. The site is a 1.32 Hectare plot accessed off Kellerman Road, which acts as a spine road for this part of the Garden Village, linking to Leamington Road and Historian Way which serve the development off Ledsham Road to the north.

The proposed school site is bound by Brightsmith Road to the north, Kellerman Road to the West and residential properties to the east.

School building design

The school's proposed layout is a linear two-storey design, with a central corridor running through the ground and first floors. The school building is positioned at the northern aspect of the site, with the car park to the north-west defining the secure boundary. Separate and secure play spaces are allocated for Nursery, SEND and Reception. This layout ensures that each ground floor classroom – including the SEND provision - has direct access to secure outdoor play areas, promoting a safe and engaging learning environment. The principal communal play spaces, including soft and hard PE courts are sited south of the building therefore benefiting from a sunny southern exposure.

Why do we need a new primary school?

In line with our statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places, and in response to recent government changes to childcare provision, we have confirmed the need for additional primary and early years places to serve the growing Ledsham Garden Village community. We also recognise the Department for Education’s recent commitment to improving the accessibility and availability of places for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

With significant progress now being made on housing delivery within Ledsham Garden Village, and following a detailed review of projected pupil demand, we propose to establish a new 1.5 Form Entry (FE) mainstream, mixed primary free school, providing 315 places for pupils aged 3 to 11, alongside a 26-place nursery and a 10-place SEND Provision. Subject to approvals, the anticipated opening date for the school, nursery and SEND Provision is September 2028.

The school building will be built in two phases, the first being a 1 FE (210 place) building with the ancillary spaces (such as hall, kitchen, dining etc) for a 1.5 form entry/315 pupil place school, with a target opening date of September 2028. The second phase will then proceed once pupil numbers determine it, this will add the extra accommodation for the additional 0.5 form entry, 105 pupils.