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, please read the:
Consultation closed - 21 November 2025
The consultation has now closed. All feedback will be reviewed and a report will be submitted to the Children and Families Committee for information.
Page last reviewed: 24 November 2025
Thank you for your feedback.