THE multi-million pound expansion work on The Chantry School in Martley has begun.

The school secured £2.25 million in funding from Worcestershire County Council which once completed will allow them to increase pupil numbers by 30 additional places per year from 2018.

Malvern-based building contractor Speller Metcalfe has begun work on extending the existing language block over the school summer holidays.

Two single-storey extensions will be built to provide four additional maths classrooms to cater for the growing numbers of pupils, along with a new office and store room.

Once completed, the existing maths classrooms will then be converted into new science facilities.

Bill Cave, divisional director at Speller Metcalfe, said: "We are excited to be working with Chantry School on this new development which will not only provide excellent additional facilities for staff and pupils but also allow the school to provide further places in September 2018.”

The Chantry School, which provides education for pupils aged 11-16 has been over-subscribed for a number of years.

Currently, the school caters for 725 pupils but after Worcestershire County Council identified the need to create new school places, they have commissioned the school to provide an additional 30 places per year, for the next five years.

Building additional facilities at the school will allow them to add an extra class to their Year 7 intake in 2018, with pupil numbers set to increase to 875 over the five years.