PARENTS at Wallingford School are being asked whether major expansion plans to accommodate hundreds of additional pupils should go ahead.

The consultation, which runs until April 10 asks parents to give their views on expanding the 1,208-pupil academy in St George's Road.

Plans for new developments of about 500 homes each at Slade End Farm off Wantage Road, and at Winterbrook, will increase the need for secondary school places in the area.

To cope with the additional demand the school is planning a new two-storey accommodation block at the front of the site.

Headteacher Wyll Willis said the new building would allow the school to accommodate 200 extra pupils.

He added: "We would like the first bunch of new pupils to be able to walk in in September 2018 – that's a heck of a rush and it's possible that bureaucracy around the process could delay that.

"The new building would be designed to accommodate a class in the main school and possibly a class in sixth form – there would be 200 extra pupils over five years.

"But the new housing developments mean we will need an extra 200 spaces on top of that - that's a total of 400 - but we will approach this in two stages.

"We want to grow at a speed where we can maintain our standards and we don't want to grow at the expense of other schools around us."

Mr Willis said after the first new building was completed there could be a 'second phase element'.

He added: "Parents are being asked to comment on the principle of the school expanding but that does not deal with the building itself – so far we have had mostly positive comments."

Oxfordshire County Council's consultation document says: "The number of pupils in the local primary schools has increased in recent years and there will be increased demand for secondary school places in the Wallingford area from September 2017 onwards.

"There are also multiple housing developments permitted or planned within the school’s designated catchment area and this will further increase the demand for secondary school places over the next few years at this school."

Chairman of governors Ian Domville said: "The governors are very keen to serve the current catchment area, which combines the town of Wallingford and surrounding villages as successfully as we have in recent years.

"We are delighted this proposal allows the school to retain its character, in the face of considerable population growth, without threatening provision in other schools in the area.

"Although such a project brings its challenges, we are pleased that we will be adding to the facilities of the school and that there will be a more modern and attractive element of our provision at the front of the site."

Last month it was revealed that the school was considering the possibility of allowing one of its playing fields to be used as a car park for the town and the plan is being discussed with South Oxfordshire District Council.

The new car park is expected to create about 280 spaces - 100 spaces for the school's exclusive use, with the remaining 180 spaces would be for public use.

For further information visit consultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk/consult.ti/Wallingford2017/consultationHome