A PRIMARY school in Caversham has won permission to expand to teach more children following a successful appeal to the government.
The Heights Primary School has had a unique journey since it was founded as a free school in 2014.
The school was initially based in temporary buildings at Westfield Road Park.
In a contentious decision, the school moved to a permanent new site at the Mapledurham Playing Fields in the summer of 2021.
The move faced opposition from some neighbours, who raised concerns about noise disturbance and light pollution from a sports pitch.
Initially, capacity was limited to a total of 350 pupils when the school project was approved in 2018.
The Heights submitted a plan to expand to 420 pupils last year, which was rejected by Reading Borough Council last December.
The school has successfully overturned this decision in an appeal to the government’s planning inspectorate.
Appointed inspector Emma Worley ruled that the expansion complied with the council’s development policies, allowing the appeal last month.
The permission simply allows the school to increase pupil numbers, with no building expansions contained in approved plans.
Hayley Harrison, the headteacher, said: “I am proud to be the Headteacher of a sought after school, and I am delighted that our excellent provision will be able to be accessed by more children.
“The Planning Inspectorate visited us, and recognised that increasing our provision of 10 children per year group would greatly benefit our local families and give them the choice of education they have the right to.
“We are committed to working with local residents to minimise any potential consequences they feel this increase may cause.
“We have been given the Eco School Flag award and we received the Modeshift Gold Award for sustainable travel to and from school, and will continue to work with our families to minimise all impacts.”
Mark Greatex, chief executive of the Bellevue Place Education Trust added: “The Heights is a wonderful school, purpose-built and publicly funded to accommodate 420 pupils.
“We are delighted that this very successful school will be used to its full potential by accommodating 420 pupils, serving the Caversham Heights area.”
Celebrating the news, councillor Isobel Ballsdon (Conservative, Caversham Heights) said: “At last, common sense has prevailed. The Heights has rightly won its appeal to increase pupil numbers to the standard 30 per class.
“Planning permission should never have been refused in the first place. All four primary schools in west Caversham were oversubscribed for Reception admissions in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, and the refusal resulted in the loss of 2.5 teaching posts at the school.
“Primary school places should be allocated according to where parents want their children to go – not where it best suits bureaucracy.
“I entered politics because I saw first-hand the impact that the shortage of primary places in west Caversham had on families like mine.
“I therefore welcome the Inspector’s decision, and I know it will help more Caversham Heights families secure a place at this outstanding school.”
The appeal was acknowledged at the council’s planning applications committee meeting on December 3.
