PLANS have been unveiled for a £25m state-of-the-art private school in the North-East.

Headteacher David Dunn's "exciting vision" is to move independent Yarm School, from its present in-town, traffic-locked site, to a 150-acre, greenfield location on the edge of Yarm, near Stockton, Teesside.

Mr Dunn said: "There are all sorts of benefits, not only for the school but the community. It would generate jobs and tens of millions of pounds for the local economy.

"This would be a state-of-the-art design for three to 18 year-olds, co-educational. It would be the first of a new century of schools with a generous budget, offering the very latest in technology."

Mr Dunn said the school would also have "some fantastic sports facilities".

Go ahead for the new school hinges on the sale of its existing listed buildings Friarage site to Wimpey Homes for residential redevelopment.

The new school would have a nursery which would bolster school numbers from 900 to 1,000.

The school has 150 teachers and support staff, making it the biggest school of its type in the area.

The location of the present site has for years caused bumper traffic congestion problems for the school, local residents and road users.

Not only would a move to the top of Yarm, adjacent to Kirklevington prison mean starting with a clean slate, Mr Dunn says the new site would be close to the A19 and the railway station.

He said: "We have just gone out to consultation and I have got to find out from the school community, parents and teachers what they think of our vision.

"If they are as enthusiastic about the scheme we will then put it to (Stockton Borough Council) planning. That will be the next significant hurdle. We will have to see what Yarm and Stockton councils say.

Mr Dunn added: "We will only go ahead if the plans show the new school to be demonstrably better than what we have now.

"We are not going to move if it is just as good. It has got to be better."