Plans have been lodged to expand a village secondary school as it struggles to cope with growing demand for places.

For the second year in a row, Hethersett Academy has been oversubscribed, leading to it having to turn away prospective new pupils. 

With nearby areas also expecting more and more growth, Norfolk County Council has applied for permission to itself to expand the school.

Eastern Daily Press:

The development would see a new three-storey teaching block added to the site with the aim of increasing the number of places it can offer by 40 children.

Currently, the outstanding-rated school has 1,115 pupils on the roll. 

A spokeswoman for Norfolk County Council said: "Our schools capital programme and place planning team support growing communities across the county to provide additional places for the future.

"We have an excellent track record of planning for and delivering new school builds and expansions and have been working with the Inspiration Trust for some months on the feasibility of expanding Hethersett Academy to accommodate increasing numbers of children from the area.

"We have now submitted a planning application to build a new three-story teaching block housing 12 new classrooms, a dining hall and a kitchen.

"If approved, it would allow to school to accommodate another 40 children.

"The proposed expansion follows an £8m new teaching block we built there in 2020 with 17 new classrooms and a theatre."

The planning application is due to be considered over the summer and, if approved, is hoped to be ready for September 2024.

It comes with the trust facing criticism for turning down applications from several parents of Mulbarton Primary School - one of its named feeder schools.

Traditionally, pupils from the village school would go on to study at Hethersett - however, a number have instead been given places at Hewett Academy in Norwich.