Wiltshire Council has put out a grumpy press release in response to the Department for Education’s announcement that it has approved James Dyson’s donation to Malmesbury Church of England School.

Dyson wants to give £6m to the school to build a centre for science, technology, engineering, mathematics (Stem) and arts, seven classrooms and a school hall.

Council leaders have raised concerns around having all the investment in one location and the impact that the creation of a significant number of additional school places could have on the survival of neighbouring schools.

Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said: “We have an important responsibility to ensure all our school pupils can access opportunities that inspire them and help them achieve their potential. “Our School Places Strategy is our long-term plan, based on clear evidence, which maps out how we will secure sufficient school places for the future. Our strategy shows we have sufficient places in the three local schools to cater for expected demand and we have expressed concern about the impact that adding 210 additional places (sic) at Malmesbury Primary School could have on neighbouring schools. However we now have the government’s final decision and we will work with everyone involved to ensure we achieve the best outcomes for all our pupils.” 

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