A NORTH Yorkshire school is to get a new sixth form complex, thanks to a £750,000 education grant.

The centre will enable expanding Easingwold School - which takes many pupils from the City of York area as well as its surrounding North Yorkshire communities - to increase the number of sixth-form student places in line with future demand.

Planners have approved the scheme, which will see the old stand-alone business studies and former science block converted into seminar rooms, study rooms, IT suite, canteen and offices. A new business studies suite will be created within the school from classrooms previously used by the sixth form.

Blueprints for the centre are now being drawn up by architects, and work is expected to start in the new year.

Head teacher Carey Chidwick said the project would bring the school one step closer to its goal of providing a "world class" education centre.

"The sixth form is extremely important to the school," she said.

"They are excellent role models for the younger pupils and we feel they deserve the best we can provide. The new building will also provide a theatre space to cater for one of our more popular A-levels, theatre studies."

She confirmed a "substantial sum" from the school's own budget was still needed to help fund the project, but governors had already given their full support to release the as yet undisclosed sum.

The school's driveway will also be made bigger to help improve school bus access and ensure student safety.

The expansion follows the development of a new science block and maths block to cater for the increased numbers of pupils joining the school every year.

"As we don't have a catchment area we take in pupils from Haxby, Pickering, Skelton and Wigginton as well as Easingwold and surrounding villages," said assistant head teacher John Butcher.

"Not only that, Easingwold itself has expanded dramatically over the past year. A number of pupils did fail to get places last September and appeals were referred to North Yorkshire County Council. We don't like turning children away, but it's something beyond our control."

Supporting the project, North Yorkshire County Council's head of education policy and development, Bernadette Jones, said she was delighted to support the school's application.

"We are very pleased to be able to plan and fund this much-needed development at the school," she said.

Updated: 11:38 Monday, November 11, 2002