Parents and residents are being invited to have their say on plans for a new £40m school in Chelmsford.
A public consultation has been opened on proposals for Essex’s first all-through primary and secondary school, which is set to be built on the Beaulieu development.
Essex County Council had initially intended to build a 900-pupil secondary school and a separate 420-pupil primary school, but now proposes a combined school with two buildings, eventually accommodating 1,200 secondary pupils and 420 primary pupils.
The primary building would open in September 2018 with the secondary building opening a year later, initially taking 180 pupils per year but growing to 240 places per year by 2022.
The plans, which also feature a 56-place early years centre, come with thousands of new homes expected to be built in areas of Chelmsford including Springfield, Newlands Spring and land adjacent to Essex Record Office in the coming years.
About £15million of developer contributions are anticipated to help finance the project and the school would also feature community sports facilities, funded by Chelmsford City Council.
Councillor Ray Gooding, Essex's Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, said: "With Chelmsford growing rapidly, particularly in the Springfield area, these proposals for Beaulieu are vital in creating the places needed to meet the increased demand."
Public drop-in sessions, where officers from Essex County Council will be available to discuss the plans and answer questions, will be held on Tuesday, September 13, from 1.30pm until 4pm, at Springfield Parish Centre, St Augustine's Way, and Thursday, September 22, from 6pm until 8.30pm, at Essex Record Office, Wharf Road.
For more information, visit www.essex.gov.uk/Education-Schools/Schools/Delivering-Education-Essex/School-Organisation-Planning/Pages/Consultations.aspx
The consultation closes on October 10.