Education Secretary Michael Gove visited Peter Symonds College in Winchester on Monday 12th March and backed local MP Steve Brine's campaign to bring a new primary school to the city.
Winchester faces a chronic shortage of primary places for September 2012 and a campaign has been launched to significantly increase the number of available places for local children.
Mr Gove said: "Steve Brine is absolutely right to tackle the problem of primary places head on and build a consensus in Winchester that will deliver new permanent places to meet demand.
"We have provided additional funds for this September to meet the shortfall across England but we want to see permanent solutions that can give parents and future parents absolute confidence in the system.
"Through our free schools policy we have given communities, including Winchester, the tools needed to take control of the local situation and there is no reason why a free school in the city could not develop and prosper."
Hampshire County Council have also responded to the new school campaign and are expected this week to give the go-ahead for a consultation on a possible new local authority run school based on the Westgate School site in Cheriton Road.
Steve Brine added: "It is always good to have Michael in Winchester and to show off the superb Peter Symonds to a member of the Government. It was also important to me that the Principal Neil Hopkins had a chance to speak openly with the Education Secretary about some of the issues facing the college at the present time, including the new 16-19 funding formula which is expected to be announced shortly. The new school campaign in Winchester is really picking up momentum now so it was good also to brief him on progress and run some of the argument past the man in charge of schools and colleges across England."
Mr Gove opened a new Academy in Southampton before calling into Peter Symonds College in Winchester where he was accompanied by the city's MP. The visit highlighted the post-16 Maths courses offered at the college and the success it has had in students going onto study maths or maths-related courses at university.
Pictured; Mr Gove takes questions from a Maths class at Peter Symonds College, and below; chatting with students in the Learning Resource Centre.
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Find out more about Steve Brine's campaign to bring a new primary school to Winchester www.stevebrine.com/newschool