PLANS for new primary schools in Woosehill, Winnersh and Charvil to help cope with the increasing pressure on places have been approved.

They will open in September, with 30 children in Reception. They will each take 30 children every September until they reach their full capacity of 210 pupils.

Building work will start during the next few weeks, after members of Wokingham Borough Council gave planning permission on Wednesday night The new schools at Winnersh Farm and off Smiths Walk, Woosehill, will be run as academies outside the control of the local education authority. A number of education providers have expressed their interest to be considered as potential sponsors to run them.

The council is considering these and hopes in the next two weeks to submit ts preferred education provider(s) to the Secretary of State for Education who will make the final decision.

The Secretary of State has confirmed that The Piggott School will run the site at East Park Farm in Charvil.

Cllr Charlotte Haitham Taylor, executive member for children's services at Wokingham Borough Council, said: "This is a pivotal and exciting moment in our plans to provide the additional primary school places needed by our borough's primary school children for this September.

"I would again like to thank all of our parents, residents and members of our communities who were key in developing our primary school strategy and shaping where these schools should be built."

In December the council agreed to create an additional 150 school places at Shinfield/Spencers Wood, Woosehill, Winnersh and in Twyford/Charvil.

The remaining places needed in Shinfield and Spencer's Wood will be created at Shinfield Infants and Junior School and Grazeley Parochial School.

The new single-storey school buildings will accommodate a reception class, a food science room, six new classrooms, a library and ITC area.