Last updated 23:33, Thursday, 16 October 2008

A REBUILD of Maryport’s Netherhall School has been suggested as part of a county council bid for major Government funding.

The proposal is included in options drawn up by children’s services chief Moira Swann as the county bids for up to £180m under a Government school building programme.

The report also suggests a possible rebuild of Silloth’s Solway Community School.

It says Solway and Beacon Hill, Aspatria, could operate as a federated school on two sites, possibly including Netherhall.

David Sibbit, Netherhall headteacher, said: “I’m very excited at the possibility of rebuilding parts of the school and bringing them up to date.

“Our science and technology labs need work, so if we acquired funding we would look into improving these areas. Redeveloping the school would help attract more pupils and give something back to our existing pupils.

“Building the new sports centre on our campus has helped to bring the community together, and other new developments would help strengthen our bonds with the community.”

He stressed that the idea was at a very early stage and added: “We would have to work in partnership with the local authority to rebuild parts of the school by 2012.

“Our building is quite difficult to manage. Facilities are getting past their sell-by date and need to be refreshed.”

Ms Swann’s report predicts that pupil numbers at Netherhall will fall from 893 to 671 by 2018 and recommends it is rebuilt with a maximum 750 capacity.

It says: “The condition of the building is very poor and the highest priority in the area for a single school complete rebuild.”

Beacon Hill School is projected to have 225 pupils by 2018, which, the report argues, would make it “unsustainable as a stand-alone school”.

But there is no suggestion it would close or leave Aspatria without a secondary school.

Instead, Beacon Hill would function as a federated school with Solway Community School, which would be rebuilt, perhaps with primary school classrooms.

Susie Shepherd, headteacher at Solway School, said she was open to the idea of a federation with Beacon Hill School and Netherhall.

Headteacher Julie Richardson, of Beacon Hill, was unavailable to comment.

Options also include a merger of Workington’s Stainburn School and Southfield Technology College possibly to form an academy.