First look at Newport school's £8m revamp scheme

The development will mean Burton Borough School in Newport will be able to offer post-16 education for the first time.

A planning application has now been submitted for the work, which will see a new two-storey teaching block built and old classrooms demolished.

Artists' impressions drawn up by Faulkner Browns Architects show a modern 44-room block between the current English area and the music rooms, while the current science and technology rooms will be taken down.

The new block will include science labs, open learning spaces and technology workshops. It is expected that building work will begin at Easter and that the new building will open in September 2015.

The school, in Audley Avenue, would then start taking on sixth form students for the first time, with about 150 expected in the first intake in 2016.

Headteacher Dave Hill said pupils would spend about 90 per cent of lesson time in the new teaching block, and no buildings will be knocked down until the new block is up.

Mr Hill said: "We are the only comprehensive which isn't being completely rebuilt in Telford and Wrekin.

"But we've been able to make the most of the money available so that all of students' learning will take place in the new learning block or in specialist rooms."

The plans were shown to parents last month. Chairman of governors Paul Broomhead said: "It's been a lot of work but it's going to be a fantastic opportunity for the children of Burton Borough. This is a tremendous thing for the school."

The money for the development is coming from the Government's Building Schools for the Future fund. The cash was first earmarked for the school about six years ago but the economic situation and changes of administration at Telford & Wrekin Council delayed the scheme.

Burton Borough, Newport's only open-to-all secondary school, has about 1,000 pupils but has space for more. The work will be carried out by York-based Shepherd Construction.