WOKINGHAM Borough Council has postponed the opening of a new primary school, it has been announced.
St Cecilia’s Church of England Primary School in Matthewsgreen will not open this September.
It comes after a lower than expected number of applicants chose it as their first preference for the 2022/23 academic year which means that it is not viable to run the school, a borough council spokesperson said.
The decision has been agreed with The Keys Academy Trust, which will run the school, and the department for education has been informed.
Cllr Graham Howe, executive member for children’s services, said that now is not the right time for St Cecilia’s to open.
“There simply isn’t enough demand,” he said.
“The trust has established itself as a high-performing, trusted provider at a number of primary schools in our borough, so St Cecilia’s will thrive under its leadership.
“We look forward to working closely together on the next steps.”
A new opening date is yet to be announced, but the borough council expects demand to rise as families populate the area. A spokesperson said that the school will remain on the admissions guide and the aim remains to offer all local children the opportunity to be educated in the area where they live.
St Cecilia’s will have 210 places and a new multi-use community centre on site, with two large rooms, a kitchen, outdoor space, and a new accessible toilet. An opening for the centre remains to be confirmed but the borough council has said it will do all it can to ensure residents benefit as soon as possible.
Cllr Wayne Smith, executive member for planning and enforcement, said: “It was crucial that we built this school to serve our residents as it’s vital that we’re ready to meet the need of a growing population when it arises.
“In the meantime, we’ll look for as many opportunities as possible for the community to benefit from the development.”
