WORK has started on the new building for Reach Academy Feltham which will accommodate 840 children in a bid to alleviate the borough's population surge.

Currently, the school is in a temporary building in Hanworth Road, with just reception and year seven in it, but demolition work started this week to make way for the new building in Feltham High Street.

The brand new building will cater for 840 four to 18 year-olds and a nursery, and principal Ed Vainker is hoping it will be finished by September 2014 in time for new pupils to join.

What used to be Boots, the chemist's offices, will be knocked down and turned into a 64,000 sq ft building with a sports pitch on the roof and a sports hall.

Mr Vainker said: "The demolition should be finished in the next two to four weeks and then work will start straight away. It will be exciting to see the new building go up.

"We'll be taking in more children next September but will do it year by year so it will be a big space for the children but I'm sure they'll make good use of the spare space before it gets filled up completely."