THIS is a first glimpse of how The Whitehaven Academy could look as plans for the multi-million pound development move forward.

The Department for Education (DfE) announced in the spring that the ageing buildings were to be replaced by new state-of-the-art premises. A planning application is now due to be considered in December.

The new build is set to open in 2021 and will have the capacity for 900 students – from its current 540 – and is intended to be a modern, inspirational place to learn.

Cumbria Education Trust (CET), which took over the running of the academy last year, said its ambition was for the Whitehaven Academy to become the school of choice for the area and at the heart of the community.

Academy headteacher Nigel Youngman said: “This is such an exciting time for the academy and a huge opportunity to really show how we want to improve the teaching and learning environment for all our students.

“As well as new facilities it’s a great benefit that we’ll have year and subject groups in clusters and so build on our strong sense of community. We are really looking forward to having a building that will help us maximise learning time and encourage our students to be successful.”

The three-storey building will make the best use of natural light, have bright internal walkways and a landscaped garden. It will feature the latest in CCTV security features and “an entrance with impact”.

The 6,720 sq metre build will include 21 classrooms, seven science labs, two art studios with views across to the Lakeland fells and three design and technology rooms.

The desire for the academy to be at the centre of the community means the design incorporates letting spaces such as the sports hall, drama and performance spaces.

While the DfE is the client for the build, the academy leaders provided a School Design Brief specifying aspects that they would like to be included.

Contractors Wates Construction will also engage with students to hear their views through the construction process.