RINGWOOD School has secured £2.8 million in Government grants so it can carry out major improvement work on site.

The Hampshire secondary school says the funding will be used to finance a new £2.2 million school hall and associated works, with £600,000 going to thermal upgrades and re-roofing work on its science and technology buildings.

Part of the associated works includes improvements to existing student dining facilities at the school in Parsonage Lane, Ringwood.

Headteacher Leanne Symonds said: "Ringwood School is an oversubscribed, successful and high achieving school, but the facilities we are able to offer our young people at lunch time are much too crowded and insufficient.

"This successful application will enable us to build a new facility large enough to accommodate the daily needs of a busy school, but will also ensure we can provide a safer, light, warm space to eat in a civilised manner thus providing outstanding opportunities for physical, social and emotional development of all students and the best conditions for their learning."

The money is coming from the Government's Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) programme.

CIF is an annual round of bidding under which academy schools and colleges can apply for funding for the upkeep and improvement of their buildings.

The programme can also help fund expansion projects for schools that have been rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.

Through the CIF programme almost £483million has been allocated towards1,466 projects at 1,199 academies, sixth-form colleges and voluntary-aided schools.

Works on both of the Ringwood School projects are due to start later this summer, with an anticipated completion date by September 2022.

Explaining the CIF programme, a Government spokesman said: "The priority for the fund is to address significant condition need, keeping education provider buildings safe and in good working order. This includes funding projects to address health and safety issues, building compliance and poor building condition.

"CIF also supports a small proportion of expansion projects. These are for academies, sixth-form colleges and VA schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted that can demonstrate a need to expand."