A PRIMARY school could see the number of pupils it teaches increase by more than 100 as the demand for places increases.

Barker’s Lane Community Primary School in Wrexham would accommodate 315 pupils under new proposals being put forward by the local authority, whereas it now has space for only 210 children.

It comes after Wrexham Council’s education authority was forced to turn down pupils whose parents chose the school as their preferred option this year.

Required improvements to the school building will be funded through £1 million of grant funding, along with £757,000 of revenue support, which will be provided by Welsh Government over the next three years.

Cllr Phil Wynn, lead member for education, said it was hoped the money would help to reduce class sizes in Wrexham.

He said: “If more children go to Barker’s Lane, it will take pressure off other schools so hopefully their classroom sizes will dip below 30 pupils.

"I have met with the head. She is quite excited about this proposal.

“Obviously there is a due process which we need to follow as part of school reorganisation policy.

“I am looking at securing approval of the executive board to go out to consultation that will run up to Christmas.”

If both the consultation and statutory notice phases are successful, it is expected contractors will start work on the school next year, ready for an increased number of pupils to be accepted from September 2020.

Nursery places would also be boosted from 30 up to 45.

The funding forms part of a £36m packaged announced by Kirsty Williams, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Education,  in January 2017.

If approved, the consultation will take place between October 11 and December 12, 2018.

Cllr Wynn added: “It’s very opportune, it’s obviously helped us expand our capacity within the town centre of infant school pupil spaces.

“It’s healthy to have spare capacity in each school and Welsh Government do recommend up to 10 per cent.

“Even with this additional capacity in the town centre we are still below that 10 per cent.”

Executive board members will discuss the proposals at a meeting next Tuesday.