RESIDENTS will have their say on the new primary school planned for the 885-home development in Barton West.

Outline permission for Oxford’s biggest planned housing development in a generation was granted by Oxford City Council on September 24.

As well as the 885 homes, 50 extra care flats, a community hub and a new primary school will be built. The single biggest payout from the developer Barton Oxford LLP will be £7.39m (from £16.6m) for the building of a new 315-space primary school on the estate.

Now people on the estate will be able to find out more about the school in two drop-in sessions and have their say on a consultation. The events are organised by Oxfordshire County Council and will help decide the exact specification of the school, as part of identifying an academy sponsor to run it.

An Oxfordshire County Council spokesman said the primary school was expected to eventually grow to two form entry, which means it will admit up to 60 children into its reception class each year in two classes of 30.

When the school is full, it would accommodate up to 420 children from Reception to Year 6.

Oxfordshire County Council wants the views of residents on the type of academy people want.

They have also asked residents about any services people would like the school to offer.

Sue Holden, of Barton Community Assocation, said she had a number of concerns she wanted to raise: “I want to know whether children from the existing Barton estate will be able to go to the new school.

“I also want to hear what they will do with the children in the school before it is completed. It will be interesting to know whether they will put them up in temporary accomodation and how will they hope to fill the places.”

Mrs Holden added: “The idea is that the school will be a community hub, but no one really knows what that means. It needs clarifying how exactly the community will benefit from the facilities.”

Oxford city councillor for Barton and Sandhills Mike Rowley said it was important there was access to the school for children on the existing estate.

He added: “There are concerns about what will happen when the school is being built.”

Fellow councillor Van Coulter said: “It is not ideal for children to be educated in temporary facilities and so I hope we can get this new school built as early as possible.”

The drop in sessions will take place on Tuesday, November 12, and Monday, December 2, from 3.30pm to 6.30pm in the Music Hall at Bayards Hill Primary School.

These events fall within the period of a public consultation about the new school, which is due to launch on November 6 and will run until December 18.