Council to bid for government money to expand seven schools

7.41.37pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 23rd Feb 2008

• RICHMOND Council is to make its largest application yet for Government funding to expand up to seven primary schools.

It is being submitted in the wake of ever-increasing demand for places in the borough's primary schools - the best in the country for the last nine years. Councillor Malcolm Eady, Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Education: "Every year the Council and local schools work hard to meet the increasing demand for places in our primary schools. Our primary schools are recognised as the best in the country, a position we have held for some years now, and last year applications reached an all time high. They have increased again this year. Because of the way the government's rules work, this is the first time in three years we have been able to bid for financial help to expand our schools. In the meantime we are working closely with our schools to make sure we have enough places for all our young people at the start of the next academic year. For September 2008 additional classes will be provided in Holy Trinity, St Mary's and St Peter's, and The Vineyard schools. I very much hope that this bid will be successful and enable us to provide the school places that are so badly needed in Richmond upon Thames."