Basford East development -new primary school
Under section 14 of the Education Act 1996 the council has a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient primary and secondary school places for children resident in its area. An analysis of the latest pupil forecasts has identified the need to provide additional primary school places in the Weston area of Crewe in response to the increasing pupil population and additional pupils from new housing developments.
The Basford East development is one of three large developments in the local area, and this development has been identified in the Local Plan (site reference: LPS2) for a 1 of Form of Entry (1FE) or 2 Form of Entry (2FE) primary school.
The council has considered the current capacity of all the primary schools within 2 miles of the development and their potential for expansion using the school site information. These were deemed not viable for a variety of reasons including, distance, lack of safe walking routes, Ofsted rating and site restrictions due to size.
The council's plan is to progress with a new school because the data has indicated there will be a shortfall of places from September 2026.
Where a council identifies the need for a new school, they are required to follow the Department for Education statutory guidance, this policy is called ‘Free School Presumption Process’ (May 2024)”. In accordance with this guidance the council are required to undertake an informal consultation with neighbouring schools, parents, and key stakeholders to seek feedback on the proposal of the new school. For more information and before submitting your feedback, please read the:
Consultation will run from 20 October 2025 to 21 November 2025.
In addition, a public drop-in session will be held at All Saints’ Church Hall, Weston on Thursday 6 November 2025 from 9am to 6pm.
Feedback your views
We very much hope that you will let us know your views on this proposal as your feedback will help us formulate and finalise the specification for the new school. Closing date for your feedback is 21 November 2025.
At the end of the consultation period all the feedback received will be collated and a report will be prepared and presented to Children and Families Committee and the DfE as part of the free school presumption process.
Please note: Individual queries received during the consultation period will not necessarily receive a direct response, but collective concerns will be addressed in the report.
Page last reviewed: 17 October 2025
Thank you for your feedback.