Work is expected to start within weeks on an extension at Sherbourne Fields School in Coventry.

Planning permission for the £5m scheme has now been approved and a contract for the building work has been put out to tender.

Once completed, the two-storey extension will provide the all-age specialist school, which caters for pupils with a wide range of physical, medical, and learning needs, with eight additional classrooms, group rooms, and accessible toilets.

The works will also include knocking down a temporary building at the school and refurbishing a classroom to provide more space for sixth formers, together with parking changes.

Located off Rowington Close, the extension will go on Green Belt land next to the current 1960s school building.

Approving the scheme, planning officers at Coventry City Council found ‘very special circumstances’ apply to make the development on this land acceptable.

The report referred to the school’s needs set out in a statement and also said the building would not have a ‘detrimental impact’ on the openness of the land.

The council officer report also said it is ‘unreasonable’ to suggest a location for the plans outside of the Green Belt, adding: “All potential locations would require the site to be set apart from the school, which is not a practicable solution for the school.”

A council statement said: “Sherbourne Fields School has experienced consistent growth in student enrolment over recent years, growing to 251 pupils for September 2023.

“The majority of this increase has been in existing school cohorts, particularly in years 9-11.

“As these students move through the school into the post-16 phase of education, additional classroom space is required.

“Coventry City Council is supporting Sherbourne to improve existing classrooms and create new facilities, specialist spaces, and optimising existing ones to meet the needs of both current and future students, so all can access educational resources.

“The contract for the building works is currently in the tender process, but will involve demolition of an existing temporary building and the erection of a two-storey linked extension, reconfiguration of car parking, and associated landscape works.”

Works are expected to start in early April.