New school prepares to open in Basingstoke
It's one of three primary schools opening across Hampshire
Last updated 2nd Sep 2025
A new primary school is preparing to open in Basingstoke.
It's one of three new primary schools opening in Hampshire this year.
The new primaries – Hounsome Fields in Basingstoke, Stanhope in Aldershot, and Newlands, west of Waterlooville – are located in areas experiencing significant housing development and population growth. Their openings, initially to Year R pupils, signal the completion of the first phase of Hampshire County Council’s three-year £502 million investment in school buildings, which aims to deliver 10 new schools and 3,175 additional school places by September 2028.
Of that total investment, £390 million is allocated to new schools and expansions, contributing a total of 19,260 new school places since 2014. The programme also includes three new special schools, three school expansions, and 11 projects to enhance provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), adding 114 new places. The new schools opening this September will all include eight-place SEND units from 2026.
Further projects funded by the capital programme will focus on improving accessibility, modernising existing school buildings, and upgrading facilities for children’s social care and early years education.
Milestone
Councillor Steve Forster, Cabinet Member for Education, said: “These three openings represent a major milestone in our commitment to ensuring every child in Hampshire has access to high-quality education close to home.
“Our in-house property team has designed these schools with energy efficiency and modern construction techniques in mind, always prioritising the learning experience of pupils. It’s been inspiring to visit the sites and see them evolve into vibrant, thoughtfully created spaces that will support these growing communities for generations.
“We’ve worked in close partnership with the academy trusts that will operate the schools – Engage Enrich Excel Academies and the University of Chichester Academy Trust – and with construction partners Morgan Sindall and Willmott Dixon to ensure everything is ready for the new term.”