A further £6.9million investment in creating new school places in Thurrock has been agreed.

Together with its partners, Thurrock Council is investing more than £70million to create over 3,500 new school places across the borough in the coming years.

As part of that investment, the council’s cabinet last night agreed to spend a further £6.9million for the already approved expansion of St Clere’s School in Stanford-le-Hope and the creation of temporary classrooms ahead of the opening of the proposed new Orsett Heath Academy in Grays.

Orsett Heath Academy is a proposed new 1,200-place secondary school, which will be run by the same academy trust as William Edwards School and will be built on land to the north west of Stanford Road in Grays. The latest funding means the council will explore options to create classrooms for 120 year 7 pupils a year from September 2019 until Orsett Heath Academy is built and complement the sports offer.

The money will also support emerging schemes to support expansion in South Ockendon and improvement works such as a nursery in Corringham and sports pitches in Purfleet.

James Halden, councillor responsible for education, said: “Demand for school places continues to rise and I am delighted we are in a position to invest a further £6.9million in creating new school places in the borough.

“We are already well underway with expansions at The Ockendon Academy, St Clere’s School and East Tilbury Primary School, creating an extra 510 places.

“This latest £6.9million investment will help ensure the creation of more than 3,500 in the years to come while also adding and improving sports facilities, and illustrates our ongoing commitment to working with schools and other partners to ensure children in Thurrock get the best possible education.”

Other emerging school schemes are a feasibility study is underway to assess the possibility of expanding Benyon Primary School in South Ockendon, the potential for further primary school expansion in the South Ockendon area is also being explored, a nursery at Corringham Primary School will be rebuilt, alongside other improvement works at the school and a new 3G sports pitch will now be built at the new Harris Riverside School in Purfleet.