Published: 04 April 2012
by GEORGIA GRAHAM

A PRIMARY school in West Hampstead is expanding in an attempt to meet the demand for places from families in the area.

Emmanuel Church of England School, in Mill Lane, will open its doors to an extra class of 30 reception pupils in September under an £8million development project.

The extra class was originally planned for the start of last school year but building work was delayed by planning issues and complaints from neighbours.

Governors say the new building will remain “significantly under-occupied” until the extra reception classes work their way through the school.

As the New Journal reported in January, seven five-year-olds, all from the north-west of the borough, were still searching for a primary school place into the New Year, over three months after the start of the academic year.

Kilburn Labour councillor Mike Katz said: “This news will come as a relief to many local parents – and as vindication of Labour’s campaign to highlight the demand for more primary schools places in NW6.

However, this is clearly part of a longer-term trend which needs addressing.

We do need Camden to start planning for a new primary school in Kilburn and West Hampstead now.”

Father Jonathan Kester, chair of governors at the school. said of the new building: “It will be significantly under-occupied until the school fills up from the reception upwards.”