Plan for £4.4million building at Archbishop Holgate's CE School

Senior councillors will look at plans to build a new three-storey building - including a library and classrooms - at Archbishop Holgate’s School.

Under the proposals areas of the existing school building will also be refurbished and the sports changing rooms could also get upgraded.

The move means the school can increase the number of pupils in each year group - from 240 to 300.

A report prepared for a council meeting next week says extra secondary school places will be needed in this area of York in the coming years.

It says: “This proposed build will add sufficient places to address this deficit in secondary school places anticipated for the future in this area of the city.

“Projections have indicated that work is now required to add additional school places across several areas of the city. The significant pressures are at secondary school level, although there is some localised pressure for additional places at primary school level in a limited number of areas of the city.

“The new and refurbished facilities will ensure that the school can continue to deliver a full and varied curriculum model across all subjects for the benefit of students.

“During the design and building process pupils will be invited to participate in scheduled events with the design team and the building contractor.”

The plans would also see a dilapidated one-storey block built in the 1960s demolished to make way for the new building.

The report says the current school site has a capacity for 1,449 students, but 1,530 pupils enrolled. And that it is a “struggle both to meet the needs of the curriculum, particularly in specialist areas such as food and science and provide adequate learning resource facilities and social break out spaces”.

If senior councillors approve the plans at a meeting on Thursday, a planning application will be submitted for the scheme.

If planning approval is granted, work could start as early as March and be completed by September 2020.