One of Southend's largest private schools is planning a major £1m expansion of facilities which will be opened to the community.

A sixth-form centre, 300-seater theatre and sports pavilion are all planned for Thorpe Hall School.

The school, in Wakering Road, Thorpe Bay, takes boys and girls aged from two and a half to 16, but due to many pleas from parents, it wants to extend its education provision to youngsters up to 19.

As a result, a scheme for a two-storey sixth-form block complete with state-of-the-art information technology, music, drama and art facilities has been drawn up.

Headteacher David Gibbins, said: "There has been a tremendous amount of demand for a sixth form and we were thinking of starting work on it this year. It is now planned for 2000, and will take 40 students."

The proposed full working theatre and sports pavilion complete with changing rooms and kitchen will also be hired out to community groups

The plan, which includes repositioning the tennis courts and laying out 36 extra car parking spaces, is expected to go before Southend councillors later this month.

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