Hundreds more primary places created

This is in addition to the 510 permanent primary places created since Ealing Council started its primary school expansion programme in 2008.

Like most parts of London, Ealing is experiencing a shortage of primary school places. This is partly due to high birth rates, but is also because of the popularity of the borough’s schools. The council has been responding to this challenge by expanding existing schools, where possible, and building new ones.

A new Catholic primary school being built on the site of the Holy Family Community Centre in west Acton will admit its first 60 pupils this month. And a separate primary school is planned for the site of the Priory Community Centre, also in Acton. This will open in September 2013 and building works are now underway.

Some existing schools across the borough have been temporarily expanded for this September and are each taking a bulge class of 30 additional pupils. The schools are:

• Oaklands Primary School, Hanwell
• St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Hanwell
• Greenwood Primary School, Greenford
• Horsenden Primary School, Greenford
• Vicar’s Green Primary School, Perivale
• St Raphael’s Catholic Primary School, Northolt
• Willow Tree Primary School, Northolt
• East Acton Primary School, Acton
• Southfield Primary School, Acton
• West Acton Primary School, Acton
• West Twyford Primary School, Acton.

These expansions will create 330 additional, temporary places for this year’s reception intake.

Councillor Patricia Walker, cabinet member for Children and Young People, said: “The pressure on primary places in Ealing is increasing every year and we are doing everything we can to ensure that we continue to provide for local children.

“We have been permanently and temporarily expanding our primary schools since 2008, but in some parts of the borough like Ealing and Acton, it is becoming increasingly difficult to create the new places. This problem isn’t going to go away and we will keep lobbying government for the funding we need to make sure that every Ealing child has a school place.”