West Sussex publishes formal plans to expand Yapton primary school to 420 places

West Sussex County Council has published formal proposals to expand Yapton CE Primary School with a new classroom block, taking its capacity from 315 to 420 pupils by the start of the 2028 to 2029 academic year.

The council said the works would comprise a new standalone traditional-build classroom block and internal modifications to the existing school building. A statutory consultation is open until 11.55pm on 10 December.

According to the council, the proposal follows a review of the most recent pupil projection forecasts, which showed a gradual rise in predicted pupil numbers, mainly because of new homes built in the area.

Councillor Sam Raby, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning, said: "We are committed to meeting the needs of our communities and delivering sufficient school places to meet demand."

The proposal

The council's Your Voice West Sussex consultation page says the school would move from 1.5 form entry, or 45 places per year, to 60 places per year, with a total capacity of 420. The extra 15 places would be taken by Reception pupils from 2028, building up year by year.

The council attributes the rising demand largely to significant house building in Yapton and the surrounding area. It says ensuring the supply of school places meets demand is a statutory duty of local authorities.

Department for Education data records the school's current roll as 304 pupils against a capacity of 315. The school is at North End Road, Yapton, Arundel, West Sussex. Ofsted's latest inspection, on 21 May 2024, gave an overall outcome of Good.

Measure	Pupils
Current capacity	315
Current roll (DfE)	304
Proposed capacity	420

Funding

In its November release the council said the expansion would be paid for with section 106 developer contributions along with a small contribution from Schools Basic Need funding. Its September release on the earlier informal consultation referred only to section 106 developer funding.

The consultation page records that use of section 106 funding for design work and delivery was approved in December 2025 under decision CYPL15 (25/26).

The two council documents describe the scheme in different terms. The November release refers to a standalone classroom block and alterations to the existing building, while the Your Voice page says the final decision would enable the creation of a satellite site.

Background

This is the second stage of the process. An earlier informal consultation closed at 11.55pm on Sunday 20 September 2026. At that stage the council described the change as moving from a one-and-a-half form entry to a two-form entry school.

The statutory representation period runs from 12 November 2026 to 10 December 2026. After it closes, the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning will be asked to determine whether the expansion proceeds.

Raby said: "All responses will all be taken into consideration and help inform the final decision which I hope to make in the coming months."

The council said it anticipates the final decision will be taken in December 2026, with the first additional Reception pupils starting in September 2028.