A PRIMARY school has applied to build two temporary classrooms to cope with growing demand.

An application on behalf of Saltdean Primary School has been sent to Brighton and Hove City Council for permission to build the new classrooms, capable of holding 32 pupils each.

The temporary classrooms will provide teaching space for a bulge class from September which will add an additional 30 pupils to the school, taking pupil numbers up to 480.

The new bulge class will have 30 additional five-year olds although school officials say they do not expect this to increase further in future years, unless a proposal to permanently expand the school is agreed, which would require a permanent extension.

School bosses say the additional classrooms will also provide the school with additional flexibility.

The new temporary building will be built on sloping land within the grounds of the school in Chiltington Way in Saltdean.

The bulge class is needed because of the increasing number of school age children living in the Saltdean area and without a bulge class this year, a “considerable number” of children would not have been able to attend their local school.

An existing temporary classroom that was provided for a previous bulge class is likely to be removed, possibly at the end of the next academic year, because it is now deemed in a location that does not work well for the school.

A decision is expected on the application next month.