Major plans for a new school for more than 600 children have been submitted as part of the Valley Park scheme just outside Didcot. 

Developers Taylor Wimpey (Southern Counties) and Persimmon Homes (Wessex) have proposed a primary school with a nursery and 12 SEN classrooms. 

The school would also be net carbon zero in operation, developers say. 

It is part of the new community at Valley Park which will be located adjacent to the developers' Great Western Park scheme.

The Valley Park scheme, which first gained planning permission in 2022, will deliver up to 4,254 homes once it is complete.

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CGI of Valley Park Primary School (Image: Vale of White Horse District Council) Phase one of Valley Park will include a mix of 246 one and two-bed apartments and two, three and four-bedroom homes, of which 86 will be affordable.

Phase one will be called Primrose Gardens and Taylor Wimpey will create public green space with footpaths and cycle links to the northern and southern boundaries.

So far, no public comments have been submitted in objection or support of the plans. 

In the application's planning papers, it said: “This reserved matters planning application provides details of the layout, scale, appearance and landscaping for the proposed Primary School at Valley Park North, Didcot. 

“The primary school will provide 630 primary education places and 120 nursery places, including 12 SEN places. 

“This development is entirely in accordance with policies contained within National Planning Policy Framework, and the relevant saved policies of the Vale of White Horse Local Plan. 

“Overall, the development proposal will be in accordance with the outline planning permission and principles set out in the development brief for the site.

"The proposals have been subject to an extensive engagement process with Oxfordshire County Council.

"As such, it is considered that the development proposals should be supported by the Local Planning Authority.”

It added: “Over the past 20 years Persimmon Homes have worked with a number of local authorities to deliver schools that serve major residential development schemes.

"Through this period they have developed a standard typology for schools which provide successful, dynamic and exciting teaching environments for 21st century learning.

"Examples within Oxfordshire include Windrush Church of England Primary School in West Witney and St Johns Academy at Grove Airfield.

“These schools are tailored to each specific site and the authority’s educational style.

"Through the client engagement process discussion of site position, internal planning of spaces and external finishes are adapted and refined so that the school provides the required accommodation and organisation of internal spaces and responds to its contextual setting and site constraints.”

Should the scheme go ahead, construction work would start in March next year with the school opening in September 2026. 

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About the author  

Toby is a senior reporter who has a particular interest in covering planning and local government. 

He joined in September 2024 having been a reporter at the Hampshire Chronicle for three years. 

Toby studied at the University of Brighton and can be found on X through the handle @JournoToby