ST ALBANS: A school which recently became an academy is looking to increase the study space available to its pupils over the next year.

Sandringham School Academy Trust, on The Ridgeway, has lodged a planning application for a two-storey extension comprising three classrooms and an open-plan study area.

Headteacher Alan Gray said he hoped the plans would get the green light and that students would begin to benefit from the expansion as early as September next year.

He said: “We’ve got a large sixth form and it’s growing in size every year and the space we do have is no longer adequate.

“We’ll primarily use the space for sixth form but it will also be used for examinations and conferences, as and when the need arises.”

Parents and residents were invited to discuss the plans this week.

The school, which converted to academy status on April 1 this year, has been able to push forward with the plans thanks to money made available because of the transition and funds set aside for capital work.