A SOUTHAMPTON school previously judged “inadequate” by watchdogs is set to become an academy.

St Monica Primary School in Sholing is expected to become an academy on January 1, 2022.

It comes as in 2019 Ofsted rated the school “inadequate”  –  the lowest rate – and so it was required to become an academy.

The school is operated as a split site, with the infant and junior sites housed in different buildings in Sholing.

But under the new plans the junior and infant schools would operate from the site currently occupied by the junior school.

Two permanent classrooms and three temporary classrooms are set to be built at the site.

The current infant school site could instead be included in Southampton City Council’s  SEND Expansion Programme.

A school run by a local authority must become an academy if judged as “inadequate” by Ofsted, according to the government.

Inspire Trust is set to run St Monica Primary School from next year.

But on Monday (Oct 18) cabinet members at Southampton City Council will have to decide whether to approve a £1.2m investment to fund some of the temporary classrooms and repair works ahead of the transition.

Newly elected cabinet member for education Cllr James Baillie said: “The decision to mandate academisation of St Monica Primary School from January 2022 has been taken by the Department for Education.

“The council intends to ensure that it fulfils its obligations in transferring the school to Inspire Trust in good condition and to this end is proposing to fund the £1.2 million relocation of the current infant school and its amalgamation with the junior school on one site from September 2022. This would end the current split site which has proven to be problematic to the effective management and running of the school. The school will continue to operate as a split site until this relocation is complete.”

St Monica Primary School was approached for comment.