A MASSIVE windfall of more than £2million could kick-start a complete revamp of Prince Henry's Grammar School.

The school, visited by Princess Anne yesterday, is celebrating a decision by Leeds City Council to allow it to keep all of the proceeds from the sale of the former Newall Primary School annexe.

Those funds will be used to create a brand new science block which, the school hopes, will mark phase one of a comprehensive rebuilding scheme.

The poor state of Prince Henry's buildings was the only problem highlighted in an otherwise glowing Ofsted report last year.

Deputy Head teacher John Dean said: "We are very pleased, this could be worth around £2million and it is much needed.

"We are looking at improving the science facilities on site but are also hoping that this will be the start of a major programme, backed by the local authority, for development across the site and addressing some of the issues that we have.

"We're coming up to our 400th anniversary in 2007 as a school, and so we're really looking for a significant injection of money to take the school, which is probably at its most successful stage ever, into its next 400 years.

"We're working very much with the local councillors, the governing body and Education Leeds to see what we can do to take the school forward and make major improvements.

"We could be looking at work on the new science block beginning in the autumn, depending on progress at the planning stage, but we're just waiting at the moment to see some plans from Education Leeds."

Normally, schools are only allowed to keep up to 50 per cent of the money raised from the sale of one of their buildings, with the other half going back into the local authority's coffers.

But Leeds' Executive Board, in a vote taken last Wednesday, accepted that Prince Henry's had exceptional reasons for needing extra investment.

Detailed plans for the school's new block are still being finalised but it could include 11 new science laboratories, a new IT room, two prep rooms staff toilets and some additional parking.

The annexe being sold, the old Newall Primary School site, has been a part of Prince Henry's since it closed in 1992.

It currently houses ICT and general teaching facilities, but is in poor condition and its distance from the main school has given Prince Henry's a security headache.

The funding decision has been hailed by all of Otley's ward councillors, who point out that since records began in 1998 schools in the North West wedge of Leeds have had the lowest capital funding in the city -- with Prince Henry's faring particularly badly.

Councillor Colin Campbell (Lib Dem, Otley and Yeadon) said: "This is a sensible and fair decision which will allow Prince Henry's to make much needed improvements.

"It is an excellent school and has not been given a fair deal so this is a positive step in the right direction."

Councillor Ryk Downes (Lib Dem, Otley and Yeadon), a governor at the school, said: "We all know about the excellent Ofsted report so I am delighted, as a governor and as a parent and councillor, that at last Prince Henry's is being allowed to improve its facilities."

Leeds' Executive Board member for Education, Councillor Richard Harker, said: "Prince Henry's rightly has a reputation as a very good school, but we recognise that work needs to be done to provide facilities to match the excellent work being done by staff and students.

"There are many major building and refurbishment projects being undertaken across Leeds' school community, and we are committed to looking at every opportunity to invest further in our schools."

The city council has added one note of caution, however - pointing out that the exact amount expected to be raised from the sale has not yet been disclosed as it is "commercially sensitive".

But if the site goes to a housing developer it is believed the proceeds will be somewhere around the £2 million mark.