A grammar school is selling “surplus” land for £350,000 with permission to build a home to help fund a new sports centre.

Folkestone School for Girls (FSG) says the new four-court hall will help it achieve its ambition of becoming the “best school in the world”.

The plans for the house were approved last year, however, a recent bid to amend the look and design of the building was recently rejected.

marketed for £350,000, the plot on FSG’s Coolinge Lane grounds holds the old uniform shop - which will be kept as an annexe - and car park.

Before the green light was given, Headteacher Mark Lester explained to Folkestone and Hythe District Council officers in a letter why the scheme was needed.

He said: “If successful, this development would support the school with financing a new four-court sports hall which will serve the 1,229 students currently on roll and of course similar numbers for years to come.

“The school roll has grown considerably in the past ten years from just under 1,000 students in 2012 to the current figure.

“In addition, we have added a number of significant new additions to the school curriculum through our personal development and character education offer, namely archery, climbing wall, mountain biking, combined cadet force, Duke of Edinburgh etc. - all of which are putting additional demand on our sporting facilities.”

The school hopes to convert the old uniform shop building into a four-bedroom annexe over two storeys.

Planning documents state: “The school has identified an area that is no longer fit for purpose or required to meet the school's strategic objectives.

“It is therefore proposed to redevelop the uniform store site to maximise its value.

“The proceeds from the sale of the surplus land will be used to contribute towards the construction of a new, fit for purpose sports hall on the school site.”

Mr Lester continued: “Our current main school hall and gym are both one-court spaces and with reduced ceiling height they are simply unsuitable for most indoor sports.

“In short, girls at FSG are not able to access the wide array of sports and sporting opportunities they should be.

“I'm sure that Folkestone and Hythe District Council would wish to support us in our ambition to be the best school in the world; nothing less and to support the young women of Folkestone and Hythe in becoming ten feet tall, bold and spectacular and ready to take on the world.

“I might add that the school will finance the entire project without financial support from local or central government and thus this development is central to the funding of this vital project which will allow us to provide the indoor sports facilities that our girls deserve.”

The land is currently for sale on Rightmove.

Estate agents Reeds Rains said: “This is a great opportunity to purchase a building plot for a detached four bedroom home with retention and use of a substantial existing brick built outbuilding for domestic use.

“The plot is located in a desirable area within the favoured west end of Folkestone and close to the coastal village of Sandgate and convenient for Folkestone Town, schooling and excellent transport links.”

Plans have already gone in for the brand new court buildings.

It would see the construction of a 1,049 sq m extension to the existing building, with the aim to provide a “significant upgrade to pupils’ sporting and physical education”.

FSG currently has a small sports hall built in 1975 which, according to the government, falls short of meeting modern day standards.

The school wanted to alter the design of the house by reducing it to three bedrooms and lowering the height by using the roof space as a bedroom.

It also wanted to change the design to a more modern look to “echo the design” of two nearby houses.

However, officers at FHDC said: “The proposed dwelling, by virtue of its design and materials, would be poorly designed and would give rise to harm to the visual amenity of the street scene.”