Waddon's education set-up is in line for a major transformation after council officials announced plans for a new school.

At Monday night's full council meeting, Waddon Councillor Paul Smith revealed plans for a new community school in Waddon had been approved in principle.

The plans include the amalgamation of two schools in Waddon Duppas Junior School in Violet Lane and Waddon Infant School in Purley Way.

The two schools will be located under one name on the Duppas Junior School site.

The plans will see a major refurbishment of the current site and the construction of a new building, including state-of-the-art equipment and an extensive library, which could also be used by members of the Waddon community.

The council said Waddon Infant School will close once the amalgamation and construction work for the new school is completed.

The move to combine the schools comes after a committee made up of members from both schools spent 18 months discussing the possibility of a merger.

Coun Smith, who is a governor of both schools, said the revamp of Waddon's school set-up is an exciting prospect: "It's another step in the transformation of the area, a step which has been driven by the governors of the school. I'm delighted to see 18 months' hard work come to fruition.

"These plans can only mean that these schools will see Waddon's education provision go from strength to strength."

The plans still have to be formally approved by the school governors, though Coun Smith described consent for the project as a "formality".

If everything goes according to the council's plan the school should be ready for September 2008.

Rachel Thorne, headteacher at Waddon Infant School, said she is excited at the prospect of moving into a new building, but admits there will be a tinge of sadness when the time finally comes to leave.

She said: "It's a very exciting prospect to have a nice new school for the children to learn in and it's definitely a positive step.

"Obviously there will be mixed emotions when the time eventually comes for us to leave, but we are excited about moving."