Construction begins on school to serve new village

Construction work has started on a primary school for a new village being built in Leicestershire.

The 420-place primary school will serve Broadnook, between Birstall and Rothley.

Some 2,000 homes are currently being built as part of the new community near the A46 to the north of Leicester.

The school is set to welcome its first two forms of pupils in September 2027, Leicestershire County Council said.

The school is being paid for by house builders Davidsons Homes and Cora Homes.

A ground-breaking ceremony on the school site has taken place to mark the start of the work.

County council leader Dan Harrison said: "This new primary academy will help meet demand for places and give local families greater choice."

The council said it was inviting academy trusts to bid to run the school when it opens.

It said there were five further primary schools nearby but all were popular and had a high demand for places.

"Broadnook shows how house builders can help fund the infrastructure communities need as Leicestershire grows," Harrison said.

The Reform UK county council said it planned to build 45 new schools for about 26,000 more pupils over the next decade.

Managing director of Davidsons Homes James Wilson said: "We're delighted to see work begin on the new Broadnook primary school, which will become a real focal point for the community.

"It's fantastic to see another key piece of the vision for Broadnook becoming a reality."

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