Parents protest over plans to expand Kings Heath Primary School

Jun 17 2010 by Jasbir Authi, Birmingham Mail

HUNDREDS of parents and children waved red cards to plans to expand a Birmingham primary school.

Families protested outside Kings Heath Primary School amid fears extra classrooms could be built on the site, swelling pupil numbers from 624 to 834.

Despite assurances from city education boss Coun Les Lawrence, who insisted Kings Heath Primary was “very much at the end of the list” for expansion, parents said they would continue to protest until they received written confirmation the proposals had been scrapped.

They have launched a website and gathered 1,266 names on a petition against any enlargement of the site.

Clare Bell, a mother-of-three and organiser of the campaign, said: “There isn’t enough space and there are a lot more schools where there is enough space.”

Coun Lawrence said: “We have a duty to ensure all pupils have a school place and we need to create additional primary school places.”