A new school campus will provide state-of-the-art learning and sports facilities for pupils and the wider community.

Plans to build a new three-storey building at Woodham Academy, Newton Aycliffe were approved after receiving unanimous support from councillors on Durham County Council’s planning committee.

The new school, comprising of teaching buildings and sports buildings will be a direct replacement for the existing and will be located to the south east of the existing school. The current buildings will be demolished once the new site is open.

In addition to teaching spaces, the new teaching block will include two dining halls and an assembly hall with a library also located on the first floor of the building.

The Northern Echo: How the new school could look How the new school could look (Image: Durham County Council)

The sports building will house a four-lane swimming pool, four-court sports hall, activity studio, fitness room and dining area.

A redevelopment of the school’s facilities is described as much-needed, as the current buildings are at the end of their lifespan.

Danny Morgans, deputy headteacher at Woodham Academy, said: “Providing the highest quality of education, given the constraints of the building, can prove challenging during periods of inclement weather. Rooms can often be unavailable due to flooding issues and this has a detrimental impact on students’ learning.

“The proposed new buildings will accommodate students in a variety of modern classrooms and specialist spaces. They will deliver significant operational benefits by minimising movement time around the site and provide state of the art IT infrastructure and will offer an attractive learning environment to deliver the school curriculum, all of which will contribute to enhancing student's learning.”

The Northern Echo: The existing school buildings will be demolished once the new site is open The existing school buildings will be demolished once the new site is open (Image: Google)

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Councillors heard the development will provide a more energy efficient building, reducing carbon footprints and creating a more sustainable environment.

Mr Morgans added: “It's extremely important for the project to commence on the planned start date. The timelines have been carefully considered to ensure that the new school buildings are open and all resources have been moved to allow a smooth transition for students in September 2024.

“This is an exciting opportunity to develop a new school building that will bring an educational environment for the young people of Newton Aycliffe into the 21st century.”

Councillors said approving the planning application was a “no-brainer” and praised the benefits it will have on the community.