A BID has been submitted to the Department for Education to build two new primary schools in Taunton Deane. 

The Castle Partnership Trust, which is currently made up of two secondary schools, has agreed to sponsor the primary schools, one in each of the secondaries' catchment areas.

The trust is made up of Court Fields in Wellington and The Castle in Taunton.

The trust said that there is increased pressure on existing primary schools which are already over-subscribed because of the new housing developments planned.

There is government funding for the building of new schools where there is a need for new places and where a suitable sponsor can be found. 

A Somerset County Council spokesperson said: “We support The Castle Partnership Trust’s ambitious early bid for funding from the Department for Education for two potential new schools for Taunton and Wellington.

"There is enormous pressure on primary school places in both towns, which will only be intensified if the housing developments proposed come to fruition.”

In Taunton, The Thomas Edison Primary School is planned to serve the new development, should it be completed, in Comeytrowe.

It will be a 14 form entry school with 450 places.

There will be a nursery, The Bright Sparks Nursery, with 60 pre-school places.

The planned opening will be 2019 and in the first years for pre-school, reception and Year 1, with the school growing year on year.

There has been consultation with the existing primary schools and with Trull and Comeytrowe parish councils.

Sarah Watson, executive head of The Castle Partnership Trust and head teacher of The Castle School, said: "With pressure already on our existing primary schools, this will help to ease some of that and it is in all of our interests to make sure that any new school provides the very best education for those children."

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