A PRIMARY school in Shinfield has finally been given the go-ahead to open it's doors for the first time in September.

Alder Grove Church of England Primary School, Shinfield West, was due to open in September 2019, however due to low demand it was deemed unsustainable to open at that time.

Since then however, the 'state-of-the-art' free school has met it's required demand and is set to expand to 420 places for pupils aged 4-11, and 26 places for nursery students.

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Cllr UllaKarin Clark, executive member for children’s services, said: "This is a very important milestone for the school and it will be very welcome in the growing community.

"We are delighted that The Keys Academy will be running the new school and will now be able to get ready for opening.

"They have a strong proven track record in our borough and provide the best educational experiences for pupils.

"When it comes to providing schools in new developments it has been our overriding principle that it is better to be ahead of demand and have a school ready too early than be in the position of having too few school places for children.

"We now have that demand in Shinfield and I am delighted the school will open in September."

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The Keys Academy Trust, a Church of England multi-academy trust who run various primary schools across the Wokingham borough, was appointed last year to run the new school after the original education provider withdrew interest.

Hester Wooller, executive headteacher and CEO of The Keys Academy Trust, said: "We are delighted to be in the position to accept the transfer of the building from Wokingham Borough Council to The Keys Academy Trust.

"Over the last eighteen months we have worked in partnership with WBC to ensure the successful opening of our new school Alder Grove in September 2020.

"Our vision is for Alder Grove Church of England Primary School to be at the heart of the new community in Shinfield and we look forward to seeing the school grow and serve our local families over the coming years."