Parents aim to run village school

Parents in Bolnore hope to be able to run their own school

Parents in West Sussex have formed a group with the aim of putting forward a bid to take on the running of a new school in their village.

A new 210-place primary school is planned in Bolnore, Haywards Heath.

New legislation means groups of people, businesses, voluntary groups, charities and other academic institutions can compete to be able to run a school.

Members of the Bolnore School Group are due to attend a seminar on Tuesday to find out more about how they can bid.

A statement said the group then expected to announce its firm intentions by the end of the week.

A site at Central Square in Bolnore is the proposed location for the new £3.5m school.

The local authority is keen to receive innovative and creative bids West Sussex County Council

The group said it was excited about "a unique opportunity to establish a new school genuinely tailored to local needs and aspirations".

Chairwoman Julia Thring said: "We think the best people to respond are the people who will most directly benefit from and contribute to the success of the new school - the parents who place their children in its care."

West Sussex County Council said it was the first time it had begun the process of inviting proposals from any parties interested in setting up a new school.

"New government legislation means that when we decide a new school is needed, a competition must be held to see who will run it," a spokeswoman said.

"The local authority is keen to receive innovative and creative bids," she added.

Bids to run the new Bolnore school must be submitted by 18 February.