A school is being demolished and fully replaced in a village near Oxford after the headteacher said the existing buildings are "tired", "inefficient" and have roofs that "leak".

The new facilities were approved for the Gosford Hill School in Kidlington's Oxford Road during a Cherwell District Council planning meeting on Thursday. 

The councillors also gave the green light for 800 new homes just off Oxford Road in the village during this meeting. 

Gosford High School is one of around 400 schools across the country which will shortly be redeveloped as part of the government's multi-billion-pound School Rebuilding Programme.

Oxford Mail: Gosford Hill School in Kidlington.Gosford Hill School in Kidlington. (Image: River Learning Trust)

The replacement school also includes associated landscaping, car parking as well as the reinstatement of access from Bicester Road and will require demolition of existing buildings.

READ MORE: Village near Bicester will get 55 new homes despite concern

Speaking out in favour of the plans at the meeting, Gosford Hill headteacher of eight years, Nigel Sellars, said: "The current buildings are very tired, outdated, inefficient, costly to run and the roofs leak.

"I appreciate there are some concerns from local residents but the safety and wellbeing of our young people is my most important consideration."

Mr Sellars added the new school design is "very much suitable for the 21st century" and is "designed for our school curriculum", including "practical facilities" on the ground floor for "better community access".

Oxford Mail: Nigel Sellars.Nigel Sellars. (Image: River Learning Trust)

The total number of car parking spaces proposed is 102 - six more than the existing and the total number of cycle spaces is 116 - 66 more than the existing.

The new school buildings will be decorated with grey and yellow colours. 

A total of 70 workers have been employed to help bring the plans to life. 

Kidlington Green councillor Ian Middleton said: "I absolutely support this proposal - it's a great school, it deserves a great building and this looks like it will be one."

Mr Middleton went on to raise some concerns in relation to the "unfortunate" cutting down of "a number of trees to site temporary classrooms" which he described as "incongruous".

Oxford Mail: Ian Middleton.Ian Middleton. (Image: Cherwell District Council.)

Mr Middleton hopes the buildings would be designed to accommodate the appropriate number of students to avoid a "short-sighted" proposal.

A total of 60 public responses have been listed on the Cherwell District Council planning portal with a mixture of some in favour and some against.

One objector and Bicester Road, Kidlington resident, James Duncan, said: "The proposals to reduce the number of pupils requires further explanation, as the Local Plan proposes significant housing to be developed around Kidlington, with permission granted for major development east of Bicester Road already.

Oxford Mail: New lecture hall.New lecture hall. (Image: Cherwell District Council.)

"The Travel Plan is of a particularly poor standard, and contains no innovative or realistic measures to encourage sustainable transport."

But a proponent, Camilla Taylor, of Banbury Road in Kidlington said: "The plans will mean the school will be an amazing space for our children to learn in.

"The current site is old and in major need of updating. The information and plans we have seen and been provided with look fantastic."

The application was passed by councillors with none voting against.