A Marlow school is celebrating a huge boost towards building a state-of-the-art sixth student block after netting a £1.6million funding pot.

Sir William Borlase's Grammar School has been awarded the sum by the Education Funding Agency to support a major new development for the school’s successful sixth form.

The money, along with further fundraising by the school, will help to pay for the new centre and bring improvements to other areas of the school including new classroom space and a new science laboratory.

Headmaster Peter Holding said: "We are over the moon at this great news. This will allow us to build a state of the art facility for our expanding Sixth Form, and to further improve our outstanding Science and Maths facilities.

"It marks another incredibly exciting phase in the school's ongoing developments. We intend that these improvements will also benefit our local community through our new role as a Teaching School and as part of our plans to further strengthen our partnerships with local schools and the wider community."

Dr Holding said he hopes with additional fundraising, the school can redevelop spaces which freed up by the new building, including new catering facilities.

Borlase’s new sixth form centre was given the green light by Wycombe District Council in March last year.

The school says the new centre is needed due to the popularity of its thriving sixth form, with separate facilities needed for years 12 and 13 given the specialist nature of some subjects on offer.

Construction will see an additional storey added to an existing school building and will include extra classrooms, study space and common areas for A Level pupils.

Borlase says work will begin this summer, for completion in summer 2016.

Great Marlow School is also building a new sixth form centre, using cash from selling part of its playing field to housing developers to invest in overhauling its former gym.

The Bobmore Lane School’s £1million project will be available for use by September’s sixth form intake.