More than 3,000 school places are set to be delivered across Essex ready for the new school term.

Essex County Council has spent almost £48million on the 3,000 primary and 150 secondary places to cater for population growth.

Many have already been completed with finishing touches still being added to some before children go back next month.

Among the projects are a new 420-place primary school at Braiswick, Colchester, the re-built Market Field Community Special School in Elmstead Market, and the re-built John Ray Infant School in Braintree destroyed by fire in 2013.

Ray Gooding, county councillor for education, said: “Essex is growing rapidly and the demand for school places in the county is also continuing to rise.

“To meet that demand, we are planning to spend about £200million over the next five years on creating extra school places.

“I am delighted to see so many exciting projects coming to a conclusion this summer and look forward to the new pupils starting in September.”

Projects delivered for the 2015/16 academic year include:

Colchester

• Braiswick Primary (new school)

• Monkwick Infant School (expansion)

• Montgomery Infant and Junior Schools (expansion)

• Gilberd Secondary School (expansion)

Elmstead Market

• Market Field Community Special School (complete rebuild)

Braintree

• John Ray Infant School (complete rebuild)

• John Ray Junior School (expansion)

• John Bunyan Junior School (expansion)

Silver End

• Silver End Primary School (expansion)

Takeley

• Roseacres Primary (new school)

Witham

• Chipping Hill Primary School (expansion)

Chelmsford

• Maltese Road Primary (new school)

• Moulsham Infant and Junior Schools (expansion)

• Oaklands Infant School (expansion)

• Springfield Primary School (expansion)