Plans for a third primary school at Ebbsfleet Garden City have been approved but pupils will be starting the new term next month at a primary school eight miles away.

As work on a temporary school has been delayed because of the Covid-19 lockdown, children will be rehoused in a dedicated space at Bligh Primary School in Strood.

The new Ebbsfleet Green Primary will eventually provide 420 places and a 26-place nursery and will serve the rapidly-growing garden city community.

It will be housed in an environmentally-friendly building featuring classrooms positioned around a large central courtyard which will look out onto landscaped grounds and a wildlife dipping pond.

A wild flower and wildlife area, plus a vegetable growing patch to complement the Edible Ebbsfleet promotion by Ebbsfleet Development Corporation is to be created at the school when it opens.

Edible Ebbsfleet supports residents to develop a series of small scale food growing initiatives along streets, parks and gardens both to transform the look of the area and promote education on the health benefits of eating fresh fruit and vegetables.

The school is part of the Maritime Academy Trust, an educational charity catering for more than 2,600 pupils aged 3-11 across eight primary schools with nurseries based in London and Kent.

The trust is headed up by chief executive Nick Osborne, a National Leader in Education - a title earned for his "exceptional" leadership.

The primary will help meet the increasing demand for school places in Dartford and Gravesham, whose population is predicted to rise to 252,000 by 2031.

When it opens, the "school within a school" will first offer 26 nursery places, 30 reception and 30 Year 1 and 2 places.

It was first revealed in April that pupils will be taught in the Strood school, Kent County Council will provide a free school bus service to ferry pupils. Otherwise it is about a 15-minute drive along the A2.

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