The new school would open in September 2028 and would be one form entry, at least to start
New school proposed for Kent town which is a magnet for housing developers – it would be built on the piece of land in the centre of this image
A new school could be built in a Kent town which has become a magnet for housebuilders and where the number of young children has rocketed by 43 per cent. Kent County Council (KCC) is proposing a new primary school for the tight-knit town of Paddock Wood in west Kent, with an opening date of September 2028.
As KentLive has previously reported, Paddock Wood is seeing a surge in population which will continue, with town council chair Carol Williams telling us it was “going to increase in new homes in 20 years by more than 100 per cent”. The market town is seeing thousands of homes built, through finished schemes, those underway or coming via planning applications.
KCC said Paddock Wood had seen “significant housebuilding in recent years” and that 2,450 homes were allocated for Paddock Wood in the 2020 to 2038 Local Plan for the borough, adopted in December. The 2021 census put the town’s population at 8,160.
Paddock Wood is around seven miles from Tunbridge Wells. The pressure on services and infrastructure is already hitting hard, impacting the only doctors’ surgery, pharmacy and dentist and, according to locals, primary aged children are already having to go to schools in nearby villages.
A six-week consultation on the new school, which would be built on land bounded by Mascalls Court Road, Green Lane, Dumbrell Drive and Bloxham Avenue, ended this week. The decision is expected to be made at KCC’s children’s, young people and education cabinet committee on May 12.
If the decision is to press ahead with a new primary, the process would be started. This would see academy trusts invited to run the school.
KCC said between 2020 and 2025, the number of children aged 0 to four living in Paddock Wood had increased by 43 per cent; in 2020 there were 508, and in 2025 there were 731. The school would include classroom space to accommodate one form entry, so 30 places in each year group, and facilities, such as a hall and kitchen sufficient for two form entry, so 60 places in each year, to support “future expansion when needed”.
The new school would also include a 26-place nursery and a 14-place specialist resource provision to support children with additional needs. KCC said forecasts showed that from 2028 onwards, there would not be enough reception places for youngsters living in the town.
The school would be an academy, called a “free school”, and as such would be independent of council control, run by an academy trust, and would receive its funding direct from the Government. The council looks at birth rates, local population changes, and new housing developments to predict future demand for school places.
“Paddock Wood has seen significant housebuilding in recent years, consequently the forecast for the Paddock Wood planning group shows there may not be enough school places in the area without a new school. To meet this need for additional places within the Paddock Wood planning group, KCC would seek to establish a new primary school within the town to open in September 2028,” said the council.
If the decision is made on May 12 to go ahead, the school and outside space will be designed and a planning application submitted. There will be another consultation prior to that submission.
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