A LARGE primary school which serves one of the most culturally diverse communities in North Yorkshire has unveiled plans for a major expansion.

The county council’s children and young people’s service has applied to add and extend buildings at Le Cateau Community Primary School, off Brough Road, in Catterick Garrison, to address an “urgent educational need” and provide facilities for an additional 90 pupils.

Plans submitted to the authority’s planners state it is hoped to construct 390sq m of buildings for further three classrooms, adding to the 16 on the site, as well as extending the school hall by 115sq m and refurbishing it.

Other proposed works include the building of an entrance lobby, cloakrooms and toilets, remodelling of the resources centre and a landscaped play area measuring 1,156sq m.

The improvements at the school - where 66 per cent of pupils come from Armed Forces families and from a range of cultural backgrounds including British, Nepali, Filipino and Thai - would also see numerous cycle racks installed, the creation of footpaths and paving and soft landscaping.

A spokesman for the children’s service said: “As a result of a large number of proposed new residential properties in the locality, additional school places and supporting teaching accommodation are urgently required.

“The existing areas of the school will not accommodate the projected educational need and therefore expansion is required. The proposal looks to accommodate this increased capacity in a sensitive and contemporary manner.”

Councillor Helen Grant said she was “fully in support” of the proposal. Consultations on the scheme, to be decided within a few months, have been launched.