A NEW school may have to be built in a Suffolk village if a 500-home estate is built, it was warned today.Jane Brown, headteacher of Claydon Primary School, said it is unlikely she would be able to accommodate a big influx of pupils from the proposed development.

A NEW school may have to be built in a Suffolk village if a 500-home estate is built, it was warned today.

Jane Brown, headteacher of Claydon Primary School, said it is unlikely she would be able to accommodate a big influx of pupils from the proposed development.

Currently there are 410 children at the school and space is limited for extension at the Lancaster Way site.

But planners are considering building new homes on Hackney's Corner, next to the former Blue Circle Cement Works.

This is alongside land earmarked for the £300million Snoasis winter sports village, in what is a rapidly expanding area.

Mrs Brown said: "We would certainly struggle to accommodate children from a new 500-home estate.

"In September, I took on 20 extra children I wasn't expecting and that shows how much this area is growing, even before this development.

"We've got a big catchment area and it might well be feasible for Great Blakenham to have a school of its own in the future."

Although the primary school is approaching capacity, Claydon High School would be better equipped to cope with any extra pupils.

The site is currently undergoing a £700,000 redevelopment, having recently benefited from a £500,000 programme of renovation.

Beth Soule, headteacher, said this means the facilities are in place to cope.

"The Local Education Authority has acknowledged this is a growth area and have planned ahead for this," she said.

"I would expect we would be able to absorb any increased number of pupils resulting from the development."

A full report into the demands expected to be on education in the area would be carried out if the scheme goes ahead.