A public consultation into plans for a new primary school in Weston-super-Mare has shown strong support for the idea.
Airfield Primary Academy will be built on part of the former Weston Airfield site to service the growing 6,500-home Haywood Village and Parklands developments.
It will be run by the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) – a multi-academy trust which already runs a number of other Weston schools, including Haywood Village Academy and Winterstoke Hundred Academy, both located near to the site of the new school.
Current projections suggest the new school – which will open initially to a Reception class before growing in phases to its full capacity of 630 pupils – will open to its first pupils in September 2026.
And a recent public consultation into the plans has shown more than two-thirds of respondents (68%) are in favour of the new school being created and run by the CLF.
North Somerset Council has previously identified the need for a new school in the area, with Haywood Village Academy already oversubscribed and the number of children in the surrounding residential area projected to grow by 400 over the next seven years.
Some children in the area are already having to travel to schools further afield due to a lack of available places.
In conclusion, the CLF’s consultation document said: “The new school aims to be a place of invention and innovation where pupils are encouraged to consider what is possible, where they are empowered in their learning and have intrinsic motivation to succeed.
“It will strive to contribute to regional, national, and global challenges, as it works alongside families to educate their children to reach their potential and make a valuable contribution to society as positive citizens.
Overall, the responses to the consultation indicate that the majority of respondents support CLF opening and running Airfield Primary and on this basis CLF believes that the project should proceed and proposes to enter into a Funding Agreement with the Department for Education at the appropriate time to allow the school to open in September 2026."
Parents interested in finding out more about the school or applying for a place for their child in September 2026 can learn more at airfieldprimaryacademy.clf.uk or email info@apa.clf.uk.
