THE number of pupils planning to go to Thanet’s Marlowe Academy - the first of its kind in Kent - has increased four-fold over last year.

Head teacher Ian Johnson said the dramatic rise in applications was a sign that parents were increasingly confident about the school’s future and that the new academy was beginning to shake off the negative image it had suffered when it was the former Ramsgate School.

The number of parents opting to make the school their first choice has gone up from 32 last year to 134 - an unprecedented increase.

Mr Johnson said it was a deserved fillip for the part-privately sponsored academy, which is due to move into £28million state-of-the-art premises in September.

"We could not be more pleased, particularly as between 80 and 90 per cent are local families. The fact that so many more are choosing to send children to their local school is brilliant," he said.

The academy still remains only about half full with 560 students but expects its numbers to steadily increase once it transfers to a new building adjacent to its existing site.

The building will feature an impressive range of facilities. In addition to computer-equipped classrooms, there will be more than 250 computers in shared study areas for pupils, as well as a 400-seat theatre, two sports halls and three full-sized football pitches.

Mr Johnson, who joined the academy from a headship in Oxford, said his aim was to develop the academy as a local school serving the local community.

Since his arrival as principal, he has introduced two-hour lessons and a school day that ends at 5pm, allowing students to complete homework and other assignments in supervised study periods.

The academy has been sponsored by Roger de Haan, the former boss of SAGA, who has ploughed £2million into the venture.