WALLINGFORD School could be expanded and a new primary school built in the town to cope with an influx of new pupils.

About 250 extra primary school children would need places if South Oxfordshire District Council’s proposals for 850 new homes in the town were approved.

As a result, Oxfordshire County Council is planning to build a new primary school in the town and expand the 1,100-pupil secondary school, in St George’s Road.

Allyson Millward, the council’s service manager for school organisation, said: “Work will be undertaken to explore options for increasing the capacity of existing schools and it is anticipated a further primary school will be required in Wallingford.

“The eventual solution will depend on the favoured location for the 850 houses, to be decided by the district council. Discussions are at a very early stage.”

She added: “The proposed scale of housing would not be enough to generate a new secondary school, but would, of course, exceed the current capacity of Wallingford School.

“Detailed work on the school site will be needed to identify what, if any, potential there is for the school to expand.”

Ms Millward said discussions would take place with Wallingford School’s headteacher Wyll Willis and governors later this year. She confirmed contributions from developers building homes in the town would be sought, to help pay for the new school places.

Mr Willis said: “We’re here to serve the town and if the people of Wallingford decide they want to expand the school, then we shall support them. But we wouldn’t want the school to lose its character.”

He added: “There’s a field off St George’s Road and we might be able to use that if we were to expand.

“It’s used for sport at the moment, but we could build some new buildings on there, maybe a sixth-form block or something, as we’re building a new all-weather pitch now. Work will hopefully start on that in September.

“We’re at capacity and are having to turn kids away. If they throw more pupils at us, we would have to turn even more away and I don’t want to do that.”

Town councillor and school governor Imran Lokhon said: “Wallingford would certainly benefit from another primary school and I’m aware that if housing was to go ahead by Berkeley Homes at Winterbrook in the future, there may be some primary provision there.

“Wallingford School is at capacity and we would need to get this right so that the quality of education is maintained.”

Residents in Wallingford are split over where the new homes should be built.

South Oxfordshire District Council said 850 new homes should be built in the town before 2026 in its long-term plan for the district, revealed earlier this year.

One option is south of the town, at Winterbrook. The other is at Slade Farm, in north-west Wallingford. Both lie within the ring road.

A decision on which site is the preferred option will not be taken until later this year.

Homeowners living near both sites claim each option is inappropriate.

According to the district council, both sites are close to Wallingford’s facilities and would offer good links to the town centre.

Three other sites were considered to the north and south-west of the town, but were deemed unsuitable.

The council has pledged to provide infrastructure to support the new homes.