THE £16 million rebuilding of the Quest Academy in Selsdon has been given the green light.
The scheme, which will feature a theatre and community sports facilities, was granted planning permission by the council's strategic planning committee last Thursday.
The new premises will replace the existing Selsdon High School buildings which have exceeded their expected 20 to 30-year lifespan by around 20 years.
The rebuild became necessary when the former high school became an academy in 2010.
In presenting its case to the strategic planning committee, Quest said then existing buildings were in poor condition, inefficient, required high levels of maintenance and were unfit for delivering the academy's curriculum.
The approved scheme will see the demolition of the existing school.
The new building will include a state-of-the-art theatre, improved learning areas and new IT facilities.
The proposals will also result in a new sports hall and a community centre.
There will be joint community and school use of these new facilities.
The new school will have the potential to accommodate just over 1,100 pupils, with 215 of them in a sixth-form facility.