PLANS for the three new schools to be built in Trowbridge were this week unveiled to the public for the first time.

Parents were given a glimpse of what the future of the town's education provision might look like as they learned about the bid being made by the Mead Academy Trust, as part of the government's free schools programme, at a consultation on Tuesday.

If the bid which is to be submitted to the Department for Education in March is successful, the trust will deliver two primary schools and a secondary school located next to each other in the south east of the town within the Ashton Park development, opposite Leap Gate and adjacent to West Ashton Road.

Chairman of directors, Mel Jacob, said: “We have a really clear vision about what we believe children should get from their education, which has been successful at both The Mead and Castle Mead.

“We'd now like to offer people an option to continue with our ethos and vision from primary into secondary provision.

“As the proposed schools are located next to each other it will create an environment where children can move smoothly from nursery all the way to sixth form education."

The first of the primary schools is scheduled to be built in 2019 but parents feel secondary provision is desperately needed first.

Caroline Johns, 44, of Woodhouse Gardens, whose son Austin is in Year 3 at The Mead, said: “I’d love to see The Mead take this on as it would create a wonderful transition from nursery all the way to sixth form.

“But I would definitely like to see the secondary come first and from speaking to lots of parents I realise I'm not alone.

"We can’t believe one hasn't been built after all these years considering the growth in population.”

Hilperton Parish Council chairman Ernie Clark said: “After decades of waiting to see some progress on a new school in the east of the town I’m delighted to finally see something happening.

“We have been in desperate need of a secondary school for a very long time and this is a positive step forward.”

Another consultation will be held at The Mead Primary School in Hackett Place between 2pm-3pm on Saturday, February 25.