Clacton's largest high school is preparing for a major expansion to take it into the new millennium.

Colbayns High School is going ahead with a £654,000 project to build seven new classrooms, a new computer suite and refurbish other areas of the site.

The scheme is being funded by the Department for Education and could be completed by the start of next year.

Tony Murphy, senior manager of support services at the school, said: "We need the new classrooms due to pupil growth. The intake for the next school year is around the 350 mark."

The school has more than 1,600 pupils which will rise by 150 next year.

The school is looking to provide four new classrooms and a computer suite for use by the English and maths departments on the east side of the Pathfields Road site with three general classrooms mainly for the religious education department on the west.

Mr Murphy said the school had put in for planning permission to Tendring Council. If it gets the go-ahead the school will put the project out to tender then approach the DFE for funding approval.

As well as the new rooms, facilities will be upgraded for children with special educational needs, and for computer-aided teaching.

It is hoped the work will start before the end of the summer holidays.

He said it was likely to cause some disruption within the site but it would be kept to a minimum for pupils and staff as well as the contractors.

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