Two north Essex primary schools are set to be expanded for more than 550 additional pupils under projects totalling £8.6million.

Essex County Council wants to increase the capacity of Stanway Primary School from 280 pupils to 420, and Stanway Fiveways Primary School from 315 to 630 pupils.

A new two-storey teaching block will be built at Stanway Primary under the £4.4m scheme to allow it to take an extra 20 reception pupils per year, while four existing temporary classrooms will also be replaced.

The project at Stanway Fiveways will cost about £4.2m and allow the school to accommodate an extra 45 reception pupils each year.

It will also get a two-storey teaching block, featuring nine new classes and a small hall, with some existing areas also getting a new look.

Outline business cases for both projects have now been approved by County Hall, to cater for an increase in population expected in line with large housing developments in the area.

Ray Gooding, county councillor for education, said: “Our continued investment in creating new school places has meant we have been able to offer the vast majority of pupils a place at one of their parents’ top preferences.

“We recognise that further places are still needed in areas such as Colchester and are planning to spend about £360m over the next three years on creating thousands of new school spaces across Essex.

“Projects such as these are crucial in continuing to meet the rising demand for school places and I am pleased to see the proposals moving forward.”

Stanway Primary School will begin taking an extra 20 reception pupils per year from September this year, while Stanway Fiveways will initially accommodate an extra 15 in both September 2016 and 2017.

They will be based in temporary classrooms until the new teaching blocks are completed ahead of September 2018.

Subject to planning permission and other processes, building work should start at both schools in September 2017.