Westdene Primary School expects to build permanent classrooms as it expands to take on a third class of 30 students for September reception this year.

The expansion also stands to help meet the school’s current needs as Council Capital funding will support an extension of the school’s premises.

Westdene Headteacher, Mrs Debbie Crossingham said: “The extension will provide internal remodelling and refurbishment to provide accommodation that will better fit the needs of current teaching and learning.

“At present over a third of the classrooms are housed in temporary buildings that are far from ideal and we anticipate replacing these with permanent, purpose-built structures.”

Brighton and Hove City Council confirmed on 14 January that Westdene Primary would be one of two schools providing extra places to meet the needs of local families.

Mr Rob Nicholls commented on behalf of the Council: “There is pressure on school places in central Hove because of the huge growth in school age children in the area in the last five years.”

Mrs Crossingham said the school’s Governors had voted unanimously and enthusiastically in favour of permanent expansion on which the cabinet member for the Children and Young Peoples Trust is expected to decide by July 2011.

She added: ‘The Governors and staff look forward to the positive benefits such expansion will bring, both for the school and local community.’

Not everyone is convinced that bigger is better. One Hove mother who was considering Westdene Primary said that she was worried the school might be attempting to do too much at once.

She also suggested that a larger primary school might be too great a leap from nursery school for many children.

The application deadline for September’s primary school places is 5 February.