PART of the original 70-year-old main building at Kingsmead Academy has been flattened ahead of a £multi-million redevelopment of the Wiveliscombe school.

Former head teacher Brian Collingridge, who retired in 1996, snapped the picture which shows the main hall surrounded by the rubble from the demolished section of the premises.

Students will continue to attend lessons in temporary classrooms during construction work on the modern replacement buildings, which are being funded by the Department of Education.

Once the replacement school building opens, the school will boast up-to-date accommodation and facilities and an enhanced hall that should be available to the wider community.

Mr Collingridge said he believes the main hall holds the largest theatre in Somerset, with a seating capacity for up to 500 people.

Referring to the development, he added: "It's a very significant change.

"In the old building, there were narrow corridors in which students had to pass each other sideways.

"And the ceilings were so low that people kept banging their heads on the girders."

The school could take up to 400 pupils when it first opened as Wiveliscombe Secondary Modern School.

It later expanded to hold 600 and the new school will cater for up to 1,000 children, during largely to the expansion of Bishops Lydeard and Cotford St Luke.

As well as serving the town of Wiveliscombe, Kingsmead also takes pupils from a large catchment area, including communities on the Brendon Hills.

The County Gazette was unable to contact Kingsmead this week due to the Easter holiday.