Dorchester residents are invited to view plans to extend and remodel Manor Park CE VC First School to help deal with increasing demand for school places in the town.

Manor Park, on Mellstock Avenue, currently teaches 378 children and Dorset County Council wants to make improvements to the existing site and add an extension that will allow the school to provide for up to 450 children.

And on Tuesday December 3, there will be an exhibition at the school between 4pm and 6pm for local people to have a closer look at the proposed £3.86 million scheme, which will go before planning officials next year.

Headteacher Melanie Cridland said: “As part of the plans, our excellent school will have much brighter, more spacious rooms with a better layout, allowing us to develop our rich, creative curriculum that helps all our learners to thrive and grow. Our hall size will also be increased, allowing us to accommodate the whole school at once and will make performances much easier for us to manage."

Across Dorset, and the rest of the country, there has been a significant rise in the school age population. In Dorchester, this pressure means that the county council has to look at ways to make sure there are enough school places available to cope with future demand.

Cllr Toni Coombs, Cabinet member for education at Dorset County Council, said: “Local authorities across the country are faced with increasing demand for school places and we have a duty to make sure that all children in Dorset have access to good quality education in accommodation that is fit for purpose.

“Our aim with Manor Park First School is to give pupils more space by improving the existing layout and adding an extension. Schools are an integral part of the local community and we want residents to have a closer look at the plans and give us their feedback before a formal planning application is submitted early next year.”

If the plans are approved by county councillors, work will start next summer with the whole project being completed in 2015.