A NEW £50 million school is due to be built to replace a failing High Wycombe school.

A NEW £50 million school is due to be built to replace a failing High Wycombe school.

Hatters Lane School is due to close in August 2001 after receiving a damning Ofsted report in January.

Buckinghamshire County Council plans to open a new school on the same site in September 2001.

It will then spend £50 million on the new school and is seeking private finance to fund it.

Peter Mooney, the council's assistant director for education, said the building would be completed by 2006, but in the interim the school would be housed at the existing Hatters Lane building.

The county council is also planning to spend £200,000 on refurbishing laboratories and workshops at the interim school, plus another £160,000 on replacing the heating system.

Mr Mooney told the council's school's sub-committee on Tuesday: 'There would be ongoing costs to the county council for up to 30 years, but we could expect Department for Education and Employment help if the private finance bid went ahead.'

Hatters Lane was placed on special measures after inspectors identified a serious drop in education standards and pupil numbers from 900 to 450.

Shortly after its slip in standards the county council set up a commission to explore ways of improving education at the school.

The commission is expected to report to the county's education committee with its proposals in October.

Its recommendations will give details on the nature of the new school and ensure it serves the community with potential facilities such as a library branch or youth club.