Three brand-new primary schools across Hampshire are opening their doors this month, welcoming their first pupils in the county’s biggest school expansion programme in years.
The new primaries – Hounsome Fields in Basingstoke, Stanhope in Aldershot, and Newlands west of Waterlooville – have opened in areas seeing major housing growth and rising populations. Beginning with Year R intake, these openings mark the successful first phase of Hampshire County Council’s bold three-year £502 million school building programme, designed to create 10 new schools and 3,175 extra places by September 2028.
From this total funding, £390 million goes towards new schools and extensions, contributing 19,260 additional school places since 2014. The programme encompasses three new special schools, three school extensions, and 11 projects enhancing provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), adding 114 new places. Each of the September-opening schools will feature eight-place SEND units from 2026.
Additional projects within the capital programme will concentrate on improving accessibility, modernising current school buildings, and upgrading facilities for children’s social care and early years provision.
Councillor Steve Forster, Cabinet Member for Education, commented: “These three openings mark a significant milestone in our dedication to ensuring every Hampshire child can access excellent education near their home.
“Our internal property team has designed these schools prioritising energy efficiency and contemporary construction methods, always putting pupils’ learning experience first. Visiting these sites and watching them transform into vibrant, carefully planned spaces that will serve these expanding communities for decades has been truly inspiring.
“We’ve collaborated closely with the academy trusts operating the schools – Engage Enrich Excel Academies and the University of Chichester Academy Trust – alongside construction partners Morgan Sindall and Willmott Dixon to guarantee everything is prepared for the new term.”
The new schools have been built to high environmental and energy efficiency standards. Additionally, Hounsome Fields achieves Passivhaus standards, maintaining comfortable classroom temperatures year-round.
Despite continuing financial challenges, Hampshire County Council maintains its strong commitment to investing in the county’s educational infrastructure. Where feasible, funding for approved projects comes from external sources, including developer contributions and central Government support. The County Council’s strategy for providing school places, including where increases and decreases are required, is outlined in the School Places Plan 2025 to 2029.
