SIX Southampton schools will undergo major expansion work as part of a £500,000 project.

Southampton City Council has rubberstamped the plans, which will provide more school places across the city.

As previously reported, much of the funding has come from a £14m Government grant and will be used to expand classrooms. All of the new buildings are set to be finished by next September to be ready for the 2015/16 intake of pupils.

Portswood Primary School will receive £150,000 for a new module classroom to help cope with the estimated increase of new pupils from 60 to 90.

Bitterne Manor Primary’s intake will increase from 30 to 60, with a £120,000 grant allowing the music room to be converted into a staff room. That will allow the current staff room to become a pre-school and the pre-school a new classroom.

The library at Mansbridge Primary School will be converted into a classroom thanks to a £50,000 grant that will see its admission capability increase from 30 to 60.

At Bitterne Park Primary School, the £30,000 grant will go towards meeting an increase of new pupils from 90 to 120 through creating a new classroom from the school’s existing rooms.

And Thornhill Primary School will see its admissions rise from 45 to 60 through a £30,000 revamp.

Great Oaks School is also set for expansion, and the secondary school has been given £120,000 to provide two new classrooms.

Meanwhile reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils from across the city will benefit from another Government scheme for free school meals, with council chiefs approving £440,000 spending on the scheme for 2014/15.

Labour education chief Dan Jeffery said: “With the rise in the child population of the city there is a need for us to expand a number of schools, and this budget allocation will go towards trying to ensure that many people can get their first school choice in their area. This is about trying to meet the demand from within the city.”

Speaking at a full council meeting, Tory education spokesman Jeremy Moulton said his party broadly supported the proposals.