NEW nursery places are set to be created across Hampshire in order to meet 'increasing demand'.

Hampshire County Council has agreed to create new places for nursery age children in Poulner, near Ringwood and North Baddesley.

Poulner Infant School, near Ringwood is already providing education for up to 246 children aged between 2 and 7 years old, but now the County Council is proposing to create a new stand-alone nursery building at the school to accommodate its existing school run nursery provision of 26 places.

At North Baddesley Infant School 270 children are educated from reception year (Year R) through to the end of Year 2 (aged 7).

Approval has been given for the school to lower the age range so that, from January 2022, it will be able to provide 24 nursery places for children aged two to four years, from 8am to 6pm during term time.

As well as this, it has been agreed that new places will be created at Mark Way School in Andover for children of secondary school age with special educational needs.

Hampshire County Council’s Executive Lead Member for Children’s Services, Councillor Roz Chadd, agreed the proposals at her public, decision day meeting on 10 November.

Cllr Chad said: “We have a duty to make sure that children and young people can also access both early years and special needs education as needed.

"There is no doubt that there is increasing demand in both areas, and that this is in line with demand for school places across infant, junior, and secondary phases of education. I am happy to agree approve the recommendations that have been made to help meet the identified need.”