A £22 million plan to expand a secondary school was given the green light at a meeting of the council’s cabinet.

Beal High School in Woodford Bridge Road, Clayhall will expand from eight forms of entry to 12 under the plan.

The expansion means the school will have room for an additional 600 pupils.

Final tenders for the work are due later this month with work due to start on new buildings in January 2013.

The school will use temporary mobile buildings to house additional pupils in September 2013 until the new building is completed in July 2014.

Cabinet also agreed to release £460,000 worth of funding to meet demand for reception and year one school places in September 2012 as well as a further £127,000 of capital funding for the establishment of the Avanti Court Primary School in Barkingside.

Cabinet member for childrens’ services Alan Weinberg told the meeting that the need for more school places in the borough was urgent.

He said: “Applications for school places are still coming in.There is no plateau in sight.”

And he added: “It is common sense that if you keep providing more primary school places you have to provide more secondary school places.”

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