A SCHOOL will be allowed to build four new temporary classrooms on its playground to cope with demand.

Regency High School in Worcester has been told it will need to take on more pupils from September and asked for permission to build temporary classrooms as a ‘quick fix’ while it works on plans to make the teaching space a permanent fixture.

Much of the work is expected to be carried out during the summer school holidays.

Worcestershire Children First, which runs children’s services in the county, told the special educational needs secondary school in Carnforth Drive, Worcester, that it would need to help with a shortage of spaces and the temporary plans would help accommodate up to 48 more pupils.

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The school has agreed to use a play area and part of its playground for four new temporary classrooms after being told by government body Sport England it could not use playing fields as a temporary or permanent location.

A statement included with the application said: “Worcestershire Children First have identified a rise in pupil numbers coming through and requested that Regency High School take additional pupils in September 2023.

“The only solution for this is a temporary building while a long-term solution is provided within the next two years.

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“The location of the temporary building needs to be such that it does not interfere with the construction of a permanent building, so there are limited locations where the temporary building could be sited.

Sport England told Regency High School it would resist any plans to build any classrooms on its playing fields.

“It will not be possible therefore to locate the building on the existing playing field,” the school said. “It is thought that a suitable location for the permanent building is in the area at the rear of the school.”

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The school said the four temporary classrooms – which would be used by between eight and 12 pupils each and up to four staff – would be used for two years while a permanent solution is found.

Planners at the council said the temporary building would be partly “detrimental” to the area but admitted the extra space for pupils outweighed everything else – especially as it was a two-year solution while a permanent extension was built.