Conservative County Councillor Heather Timms has confirmed the whole of Bilton Pavilions development will be included into the priority areas for primary school places, taking effect from this September.

The changes will place children of families living on the development in the priority areas of St Oswald’s C E Primary, St Matthew’s Bloxam C E and Oakfield Primary, eliminating the likelihood of families living on the development having to travel long distances to schools or of siblings not attending the same primary.

A school priority area is a geographical area defined for the county council. In cases of oversubscription, children living in the priority area are allocated places before other applicants.

Part of the Bilton Pavilions development currently falls within the priority areas of St Oswald’s C E Primary School while part is within the area for St Matthew’s Bloxam C E. However parts of the development do not appear within the area for any primary school.

The existing priority areas for St Oswald’s C E Primary, St Matthew’s Bloxam C E and Oakfield Primary, the three nearest primary schools to the development, will now change to include the whole of Bilton Pavilions.

Changes will automatically take effect from the start of the 2013/14 school year.  However, Warwickshire County Council will be looking to submit an application to the Schools Adjudicator for an ‘in-year variation’ to allow the change to be introduced in time for this September’s admissions.

Cllr Heather Timms, Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Families said: “We consulted residents about our plans to change the priority areas and are committed to doing this. It will clearly benefit families on the Bilton Pavilions development, reduce travel and ensure that the children receive their education in their local neighbourhood with other members of their family. We are very hopeful that we can introduce this change sooner rather than later and for it to be in place from this September.”