Revealed: Where new schools are needed across borough to cope with housing growth

The places where new schools are likely to be needed in the Great Yarmouth area over the next 10 years have been revealed.

With tens of thousands of homes due to be built in Norfolk, education bosses are planning for where extra school places will be needed to cope with the county’s swelling population.

The council has drawn up a list of locations across the county.

In the borough of Great Yarmouth, Bradwell and Caister have been identified and elsewhere in the Broadland area. Blofield and Brundall are also included on the Norfolk County Council list. 

It would cost almost £300m to get all the required schools built in the county - and Norfolk County Council is not even certain of securing all the cash.

Where would schools be built?
 

Bradwell
Hillside, Homefield and Woodlands primary schools are all at capacity - and one thousand new homes are earmarked for Bradwell, with more than 400 already built.

That means a new primary school is due to open in September 2025.

Caister

An application for 665 new homes off Jack Chase Way, which includes a new primary school, has been lodged.
 

Blofield/Brundall
Up to 500 new homes are being built, with schools in the area already full.

A new 420 place primary school in Blofield is due to open in 2024/25, with the existing school relocated and expanding into the new building.

How will the council afford these schools?

Alongside district councils, the county council expects to secure nearly £100m in developer contributions for the proposed new and extended schools.

But if all of the places are needed, a further £191m would need to be found - some of which would come from Community Infrastructure Levy and government grants.

John Fisher, the council’s cabinet member for children’s services, said: “As a council we’ve secured thousands of new school places in the last decade, with state-of-the-art schools already open in many of our growing communities.

“We want all children to have access to a good education near to their homes, so we will continue to work with our district council colleagues to secure land and funding for school places, as more communities grow.”