DEVON County Council is now starting the official process to find a ’sponsor’ to run the new primary school that will be built in Okehampton.

The council is advertising for a sponsor to run the new school which will initially be able to accommodate 210 children from two to 11 but have the capacity to grow to 420 places.

Government rules mean that most new schools have to be academies but Devon County Council is still responsible for providing the land and meeting the building costs. The purchase of the 1.7 hectare site and construction of the school is estimated to come in at around £5-million. It will then recoup the costs from current and future development.

The county council’s ruling Cabinet will discuss the selection process for the new academy sponsor at its meeting on July 12.

The school will be built on land, which has been forward funded by Devon County Council, to the north of Crediton Road where nearly 800 homes are planned.

Devon’s Cabinet member for schools, James McInnes, said: ‘A new school is urgently needed for the fast-growing town of Okehampton.

‘We need to get on with this without delay so that the new school can welcome its first children in September 2018. The existing primary school in Okehampton is at capacity and our forecasts show increasing numbers of pupils over the next few years.

‘We need to start this process now so that parents choosing a school for September 2018 know who the new sponsor is and can make an informed choice for their application.’

Expressions of interest have to be submitted by July 19 with the deadline for applications on September 15.

Among those who have already declared interest in running the new school are Okehampton Primary School, in partnership with Okehampton College and the Diocese of Exeter. The partnership is looking to establish a new Church of England primary and nursery school on the site.

Devon Wildlife Trust has also stated it wants to open the county’s first ‘nature primary school’ on the site. The charity has said that it would be a ‘mainstream’ school, open to all, following the national curriculum, but one which would put outdoor learning and the natural environment at the heart of a high quality education.

Local county councillor Kevin Ball said: ‘I am pleased things are now progressing.

‘As Councillor McInnes has said, a second primary school is needed to serve the growing community. The position within the hamlets makes sense as the majority of the development is there. I look forward to the progression of the project with a suitable party chosen to run the school.’