TAVISTOCK College has become a victim of its own success ? it is now so popular it will be two classrooms short when new pupils start in September.
Exam success in previous years and an unprecedented number of successful appeals to Devon County Council from parents of children living outside the school?s catchment area has led to this year?s intake shooting up by 10%.
This means the new Year 7 group will have 330 pupils, instead of the usual 300 ? the equivalent of a whole extra teaching group ? and at least two more classrooms will be needed.
County officials visited the college last week to look at building provision for the coming year and will work with the school to ensure the accommodation will be ready as soon as possible.
College principal John Simes said: ?The high demand for places has probably come on the back of the fantastic exam results we had last year and we are now looking at going over and above the capacity we have available.
?This is a wonderful problem to have, we certainly don?t want things the other way round. To be so popular is a great compliment to the school, its pupils and staff.
?I think it helps that we are such a busy school, we do so much in the school and community as a whole.?
Mr Simes said numbers were likely to level out over the next few years ? in the meantime, the college was introducing a new timetable to tackle the problem of student movements around the site.
?We know we are a big school, but we want to feel like a small school ? as intimate as possible,? said Mr Simes.
College managers already face a logistical problem, with work on a ten-month £2.5-million building scheme and £90,000 flood drainage system for the playing fields due to start this month.
The new timetable and lesson programme mean break times will be staggered and many sports will take place off-site using local clubs and facilities.
But the college?s plans for work on the playing fields suffered a setback last week when engineers were forced to reconsider their original plans regarding drainage.
They are now reviewing their whole strategy and the drainage scheme is on hold until the new year.
Mr Simes said: ?This is a disappointing setback, but we are working with the experts to produce a scheme which we hope will bring lasting improvements to our playing fields.
?Our engineers are now redesigning the concept. It is going to be considerably more expensive and we do not expect anything to happen before Christmas, but the plan will still go ahead.?
And even more changes are in the pipeline ? next Tuesday?s West Devon Borough Council?s planning committee will consider an application for further work on the college site and across the road at Crowndale.
It is hoped to construct changing rooms and further sports facilities, a parking area and a half-size all-weather pitch, in a joint project backed by the school, Tavistock Football Club, Crowndale Recreational Association and the borough council.
The council is to submit a huge application for almost £900,000 from the Football Association to pay for the scheme.
Mr Simes said: ?It is a very exciting development and we are fully behind it. This has come through a lot of hard work by people in the community and pulling together.
?It will be a great triumph if we get the funding from the FA.?