A SOUTHAMPTON school is set to receive a major cash boost to replace its roof before being turned into an academy.

Cabinet members at Southampton City Council (SCC) are set to grant £712,000 to Weston Shore Infants School to replace its roof with a new one.

The news comes after in 2017 Ofsted deemed the school as ‘Inadequate’, requiring it to become an academy.

But before that happens,  civic chiefs in Southampton are required to make sure the school is in a “safe and reasonable” condition.

An offical document issued ahead of the cabinet meeting set to take place on April 16, says: “Weston Shore Infant School is preparing to transfer to an Academy Trust from Southampton City Council. As part of that transfer process the condition of the fabric of the building should be considered.T

"The condition of the roof materials and flashings to the upstands to the pitched roof areas are in a poor condition with cracking of the materials and sections of lead flashings missing.

"There is significant plant growth across most of the roof areas and subsequently significant plant debris accumulating on the roof areas. The recommendation is that all the flat roof areas are replaced.”

According to the document, work would require cleaning off the surfaces, removing all debris, making localised repairs and overlaying with new insulation and a new waterproofing system. The works would also require new upstands, flashings and replacement of most, if not all, of the rooflights.

The school has 90 pupils aged between four and seven years old.

It is recommended that the flat roof areas are replaced within the next year and ideally in summer 2019.

Cabinet members are asked to approve the funding which will allow the work.

A report published ahead of the cabinet meeting says: “The continued provision of an Infant School in Weston will ensure effective provision of

education for infant age children in the Weston ward of the city. Failure to secure the finance to undertake the necessary works will further

delay the conversion of the school to an academy.”