Work is well underway on a new £14.9m school for Tibshelf, Derbyshire.

Last October Derbyshire County council approved funding to bring the 750-pupil school on to one site at Doe Hill Lane.

Since then designs have been drawn up by Maber - which has offices in Derby and Nottingham - and planning permission approved for the building.

Local contractor Tomlinson started work on site in June and the project is due for completion next autumn.

The new school will include a sports hall, library, specialist and general teaching areas and offices.

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It will also include a facility to allow students with autism to learn alongside their peers.

New playing fields, hard-surfaced games courts, athletics facilities and a full-size artificial football pitch will be provided.

Councillor Mike Longden, our Cabinet Member for Education, helped to lay the foundation stone for the new building. He said: "We have recognised the compelling need to provide this learning community with a new school.

"The county council has pulled out all the stops to make the new school a reality and this is the start of the last full academic school year for pupils at its present site.

"I'm delighted that we have been able to put together a financial package to deliver our promise of a new school for Tibshelf.

"It means we can provide the whole community with a bright and spacious school which meets modern standards and will enable pupils to reach their full potential."

(CD/GK)