AN EXTRA £93 million will be invested in creating additional school places in Surrey over the next five years.
The investment represents Surrey's biggest-ever school expansion programme, as hundreds of parents scramble to find places for their children.
The funding, approved by Surrey County Council's cabinet, is on top of the £261 million already earmarked for school expansion and the £28 million from the Government to create more than 2,300 extra school places in 14 county schools.
Two of the schools selected for expansion are in Reigate. The move will create 150 new places in the town over the next five years.
Reigate Priory Community School, in Bell Street, will take on about 120 extra pupils over five-years.
Head teacher Noel Lellman said: "I am delighted that extra funds have been put forward to help alleviate the shortfall of school places in central Reigate.
"Due to the flexibility of our accommodation, we will continue to create new classrooms wherever possible.
"Reigate Priory School will continue to welcome children from the local area."
Elsewhere, the county council plans to build a new hall, a larger kitchen and more offices to permanently accommodate 120 pupils at Holmesdale Community Infant School, in Alma Road, Reigate.
"Although we are officially a 90-pupil school, over recent years we have been taking on 120 pupils to help Surrey," said head teacher Sarah Beasley.
"We already have temporary classrooms for the children, which will also become part of the planning process to make them permanent.
"The school has been helping Surrey County Council by accepting more children, but once these changes have been made we will always be able to offer these places."
The authority said the investment represents the biggest school expansion programme in the county's history.
Linda Kemeny, cabinet member for schools and learning, has welcomed the funding.
She said: "We have experienced a big rise in demand for places at our excellent schools and this surge is continuing, which is why we have embarked on Surrey's biggest-ever expansion programme to create the 16,000 places we need to find to ensure every child gets the best possible education."
