A multi-million-pound sports hall is to be built at Highworth Grammar School in Ashford.

Work on the state-of-the-art facility, which will be constructed on two existing tennis courts and a long-jump runway, is expected to start next spring.

Teachers hope to open the £2 million hall in March 2019, and construction is due to take about a year to complete.

Head teacher Paul Danielsen said: “We are naturally delighted that we have been granted planning permission for the hall, and we would like to thank councillors for their support.

“As a school, we are committed to growth and improvement, and we are always looking to offer the very best experience we can to our students.

“The new state-of-the-art sports hall is a great way to achieve this – promoting physical activity and allowing our students to develop interests in other areas away from the classroom.”

Architects from the Ingleton Wood company have drawn up the plans, which are the first of their kind in Kent to receive funding from the government’s new Condition Improvement Fund.

The fund is specifically set aside to allow schools and academies to complete building work.

Ingleton Wood’s Max Chapman, who previously secured £700,000 to improve underground pipework at Highworth, said: “We are delighted to be leading on a project which will provide the school with a modern sports facility.

“It will give the students a fantastic opportunity to play sport, both now and in the future.

“We are particularly pleased to have secured two lots of funding through the Condition Improvement Fund, which is extremely competitive and totals a little over £2.7 million.”

The new hall will feature four courts and a terrace overlooking the school’s playing field.

The school says the two tennis courts and long-jump runway making way for the hall will be replaced.