BUILDING work to expand the Cowpasture Road site of Ilkley Grammar School is due to begin next month.

"Things will never be the same again," said Peter Wood, head teacher.

The first sign that things are about to change will be the increase in temporary buildings at the site as lessons will be have to be moved away from the main building project which will be to create a new three-storey block on the site of the present tennis courts.

The work is due to carry on all this year and half of next. It is scheduled to be completed in time for the start of the autumn term in 2003, when the school will then be large enough to accommodate around 1,500 pupils.

Writing in the school newsletter, Mr Wood says: "Hardstanding areas will be established at the lower end of the site, primarily to replace the tennis courts.

"Once this has been done building work will begin in earnest; piles will be driven into the current tennis court area and the new building will start to take shape."

Once work has started the school will publish a detailed building schedule to ensure that the work will not interfere with the pupils' exams in summer. As well as the main work being carried out, a separately funded project will see the schools sports hall given a complete facelift.

The flat, leaky roof will be replaced by a pitched roof, new changing rooms will be added and the cladding on the walls will be replaced to cut out draughts and make the building look smarter.

School governor Martin Smith said the gradual process of moving pupils from the school's lower site on Valley Drive, using the buildings of the former Ilkley Middle School, should begin next year.

"But the whole school will not be fully operational on the same site until the autumn term," said Coun Smith.

He said that should end the problem of teachers having to shuttle between the two sites to carry out their lessons.