Temporary primary school 'might not be needed'

A temporary school planned for the outskirts of Preston might never be constructed, the Lancashire Post can reveal.

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Temporary classrooms had been planned for one corner of the site so that 60 reception children could be admitted from September 2026 while the permanent school was built elsewhere on the plot, to open a year later - but that might no longer be the solution to the short-term shortfall in places

Education bosses had intended to create the makeshift facility on a site off Whittingham Lane, in Whittingham, where a brand new - permanent - primary school is ultimately to be built.

The stopgap establishment - which was due to open this September - had been proposed to provide the additional pupil places that are known to be needed 12 months before the full-scale school will be ready.

However, the Post understands that a revised plan to utilise surplus space within existing schools in the city may mean the temporary one is not required. A final decision is expected by early summer when the latest pupil number forecasts for Preston are published.

Lancashire County Council has also revealed that the permanent, 420-place facility - which includes a 16-place special needs unit - will admit "multiple" age groups in its first year of operation, not just the reception-age children that had previously been expected.