A SUCCESSFUL bid for hundreds of thousands of pounds to the Department for Education and Employment may open up new opportunities for additional sixth form students at Alcester Grammar School.

Last year the school was informed it had succeeded in its bid to get £635,000 from the DfEE for much needed expansion work at the school.

And plans which have now been submitted to the district council will mean a whole range of additional facilities which will help cope with the flood of applications the school is receiving from potential sixth form students.

Plans include four additional general teaching rooms, an extra ICT room, one more science laboratory and two more offices and general buildings.

Headteacher Andy Shearn said: "We need these additional facilities because Alcester Grammar, like many other schools, has implemented a massive increase in use of computer technology.

"And our sixth form has continued to grow at a huge rate. We have been flooded with applications for September. Already there have been over 300 this year. Our sixth form will number over 400 next year so we really need these extra buildings.

"These plans will accommodate an additional 79 sixth form pupils which we are very pleased about.

"If all goes well with the planning application the work should start in the summer holidays.

"Unfortunately it will not be completed in time for the new term but there will be some temporary classrooms set up until the work is completed."