Two secondary schools have been earmarked for £20m investment as part of an expansion project to meet a growing deficit of school places.

Since 2007, Waltham Forest council has experienced an increase in primary school pupils and is now facing an "unprecedented deficit of year 7 places from 2016 onwards".

It was agreed by the cabinet in October that the borough would need four new secondary schools by 2022.

However, any new schools built must be academies or free schools, funded by the Education Funding Agency (EFA).

The Lion Academy Trust, which runs three primary schools in Walthamstow and Leyton, has 'in principle' been approved funding to open a secondary free school in September 2016, the council has said, but no site has been identified.

Projections show there will be a deficit of 211 secondary school places by September 2017 and 873 by 2022.

To meet the demand by next year, the council's cabinet has agreed to expand Heathcote School in Normanton Park, Chingford, and Holy Family Catholic School in Shernall Street, Walthamstow, by 300 places.

Both will increase by two forms of entry, with Frederick Bremer School in Fulbourne Road, Walthamstow, considered as a third 'reserve' option for expansion.

Expansion at Heathcote School is likely to be a new build extension or free standing block, whereas expanding Holy Family could be a mix of new build and refurbishment works as there are listed and locally listed building on both sites.

Cllr Mark Rusling, responsible for children, said: "London’s fast-rising population is inevitably putting more pressure on school places, and local authorities have a statutory obligation to provide sufficient places within their areas.

"The government has made it more difficult for us to do that, by banning us from opening new schools.

"Despite these restrictions we’re committed to providing what our parents want, places at local schools that can provide their child with an outstanding education.

"Both Heathcote School and Holy Family Catholic School are popular secondary schools, which are rated good by Ofsted and are already oversubscribed, but have the capacity to expand – subject of course to the expansion projects going through the appropriate planning process.

"We are working with those schools to deliver those places."

In addition to expanding the secondary schools, 900 additional places will be created at Willowfield Humanities College as part of a £25million project to build a brand new school building this autumn at its new site in Blackhorse Road.

Heathcote School's headteacher Zoë Cozens, said: "We are delighted that the council is expanding our school.

"This gives us a unique opportunity to create a year 7 base.

"Students will work in their own building with a dedicated pastoral team to ensure they make the best start to their secondary education.

"We will use the best of primary and secondary teaching so that our young people make excellent progress."

Holy Family Catholic School's headteacher Dr Andy Stone, said he was pleased and excited at securing investment and resources to help meet the needs of future generations of Waltham Forest pupils.

A consultation process will start in September.

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Heathcote Secondary School & Science College in Chingford 

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Pupil Chelsea Addai-Yeboah with headteacher Dr Andy Stone, Dame Tessa Jowells MP, and pupil's Vanessa Davis and Jeffrey Acheanpong during her visit to Holy Family Catholic School in November