ATTRACTING
FAMILIES
A new school offering places for 600 pupils looks set to entice more families to Poundbury
Parents hope the new Poundbury school will‘ put children at the heart of this growing community’. It comes after councillors at Dorset County Council decided to move the existing Damers First School, located near Dorset County Hospital, to a site close to the Great Field in Poundbury. The school, which will offer places to 600 children will open its doors in time for the new school year in September 2016. The move will enable the school to offer an additional 150 places to Dorchester children, turning it into a four-form entry school. Plans for the new school have been in the pipeline since 2006 and the news was welcomed by local families. Poundbury mum Sarah Collins, who has two children who attend Damers First School and one who will start in 2016, is looking forward to the new school. She said:“ The new school site will be great for Poundbury parents and will benefit all Damers ' families. It will provide a lovely new building and put children at the heart of this growing community.” Duchy Estate Director Simon Conibear said:“ I think it will be great for Dorchester and it will be an opportunity to bring a facility into Poundbury which will be shared with the whole of the west of Dorchester.“ Two thirds of the pupils will probably come from the west side of Dorchester and one third from Poundbury and the integration between the two is very important from our point of view.”
“ It will provide a lovely new building and put children at the heart of this growing community”
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