THE first school in the vast new town of Sherford is to be sponsored by Ivybridge Community College, it has been announced.

The 420-pupil school will be available to children from two to eleven, and will be the first of three primaries to be constructed in the town.

Making the announcement on Monday, a spokesman for the Sherford Consortium of Bovis Homes, Linden Homes and Taylor Wimpey said the Ivybridge Academy Trust – which runs Ivybridge Community College - had a ‘proven track record of success’.

Set to open in September 2017 the new school, to be named Sherford Primary Academy, is being funded and constructed by the consortium.

Home to some 12,000 people on completion, Sherford has been designed as a self-sustaining town, with play areas, sport and leisure facilities, retail and business space, and a 500-acre public park.

The Homes and Communities Agency, the Government’s national housing and regeneration body, has invested more than £32million in the project alongside the three private sector developers.

Ivybridge Community College principal Rob Haring said: ‘We believe passionately in providing local solutions to meet local need, therefore it is fantastic to be involved with Sherford and being giving the opportunity to help form and shape a brand new community.

‘Ivybridge Academy Trust has a long and established record in providing educational excellence, and the new Sherford Academy will continue this by inspiring, engaging and motivating children in what is to be one of the most innovative and unique Devon towns.

‘The school will, initially, become the hub of the new community, developing its own unique identity, and will equip children with the skills and knowledge to succeed from an early age.’

Devon county councillor James McInnes added: ‘DCC is committed to local schools for local children, so we want to see the new primary school opening as the first families move into the new homes. The Ivybridge Academy Trust has a longstanding reputation for educational excellence and I am confident that the new primary will set high standards and quickly establish itself at the heart of the new community.’

Paul Boileau of the Sherford Consortium said: ‘The opening of Sherford Primary Academy marks a significant milestone for the new community development, set to be one of four schools planned to open over the next decade, including a secondary school.

‘Each school will have its own unique identity, integrated at the heart of the community, with children having access to a range of facilities, including playing fields, parks, library, theatre and a sports centre, all within walking distance.

‘We are proud to welcome Ivybridge Academy Trust to Sherford. The town will be an ideal location for families looking for a new home alongside excellent local schooling.’

Parents, or those interested in their children attending the new school are invited to apply via Devon County Council from September 2016.