MORE than a million pounds is to be pumped into the infrastructure of a new primary school.

Windrush Church of England Primary School is set to open next September, after work began earlier this year.

The school, which will be Witney’s first new primary for almost two decades, is set to receive £1.2 million from three housebuilders.

The money from Bloor Homes, Bovis Homes and Persimmon will contribute towards furnishing and equipping the school, which is being built at the 1,000-home Downs Road housing development.

Read again: Work to begin on new Windrush Primary School in Witney

The school will be operated by the River Learning Trust (RLT), which already oversees three other primary schools in Witney – Madley Brook, Witney Community and Tower Hill.

Katherine Spencer, educational lead on the project for RLT, said: “We are passionate about placing Windrush Church of England Primary School at the heart of a wonderful new community.

“Our goal is to make the school a place that people living in Windrush Place can be really proud of and we are working flat out to meet the challenge of delivering an education that families who choose to live here deserve.

“We are going to have the opportunity to educate local children in a fantastic environment, with the very best buildings and facilities.

“We cannot wait to welcome our first children into that environment and to help them take their first steps with us on a special journey.”

Oxford Mail:

The school, which will have a royal blue uniform, will eventually have capacity for 315 children.

The school’s initial intake will be 30 pupils, although the school will have the capacity for this to rise to 45 in due course.

Before and after-school childcare will be available for students at Windrush, while there will also be 39 nursery places for children aged two to four.

Windrush will be run in partnership with the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education, overseen by the Diocese of Oxford.

The Diocese covers 2,200 square miles, including the three counties of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

See also: New Covid-19 vaccine being trialled in West Oxfordshire

RLT’s portfolio of secondary schools includes The Marlborough School in Woodstock and Chipping Norton School, as well as others across Oxfordshire.

In addition to funding school infrastructure, the trio of housebuilders will be spending a further £1 million on public transport.

This includes the provision of six new bus shelters and money to Witney Town Council.

Windrush Place will feature sports fields and a play area, plus allotments and employment land, providing opportunities for businesses.