Images of a new teaching block have been unveiled to highlight future plans for a growing Bingley school.

The Samuel Lister Academy in Cottingley has announced the development of a new building to be funded by private investment as part of the Government’s Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP).

Precise details still have to be finalised, but the replacement block will definitely be going ahead, said the academy’s facilities and human resources manager, Rachel James: “It’s hugely exciting – we are going to have a brand new super-block,” Miss James said yesterday.

“There is still a long way to go and details are in the discussion stage, but it’s something we hope will really interest new and prospective students,” she said.

The academy has released images of a spacious three-storey building, which are provided by the Education Funding Agency, to represent the type of expected development. “We don’t yet know if it will be two or three storeys, as the EFA is currently inviting bidders to come forward for sponsorship of the project,” Miss James said.

“So because a lot will depend on the project’s final budget, we don’t know whether it will be two or three storey, for example.

Miss James is overseeing the project for the academy and said the eco-friendly nature of the building itself was something to be considered, such as installing solar panels or water recycling systems.

“These new buildings are much more energy efficient and therefore cost less to run, but we will also be looking at all options.

“We also want to involve students, parents and the community in working on the plan.” Contractors are due to start work in spring 2015 with a completion date in autumn the following year. “It will be built on our site and then ultimately replace our old flat-roofed 1970s building,” Miss James said.

Three other schools in the district, Belle Vue Boys and Carlton Bolling, Bradford, and Oakbank in Keighley are also in this latest raft of building schemes in the PSBP.

Samuel Lister principal Bec Osbourne said it was important that potential students knew what the academy had in the pipeline: “We’d like to enoucrage those who are still undecided on which secondary school to choose to come and visit and hear about the plans for the new school,” Miss Osborne said.