TRETHERRAS School is drawing up plans for a new campus, fit for the 21st century.

Deputy head Steve Dunn said the school's leadership team is coming up with a blueprint for new buildings to transform the current site.

This comes despite the school being way down the list of priority funding from Cornwall Council and central government for any future redevelopment.

Mr Dunn said realising the dream is still a long way off with the school in stage three of the funding programme – it could take more than 10 years to follow through.

He explained: "We don't have any pre-fabs, but we do have an ageing site – part built in 1954 and part in 1969.

"We have all the problems associated with flat roofs, heating and lots of glass. We are currently involved with the governors in drawing up plans for a school for the 21st century.

"We're thinking about what the school should look like and we'll be discussing this with the students and the parents. It's a bit like renovating a home – we know we can't afford to do everything all at once, but we still have big hopes and ambitions."

Mr Dunn said the new school would make the most of the school's academic and sporting achievements.

"We want to build on our academic strengths and our sporting facilities and also create a performing arts scheme, perhaps including a community theatre. If we can get people and government agencies excited about our plans, we will try and get them to support us.

"We are trying to be pro-active about it, accept that we are not going to get the money immediately or from the usual sources, not sit on our hands, be ambitious.

"Sometimes if you have something to show people, they might join you in that and you might surprise yourself with how they help and where that money comes from."

Mr Dunn said planning new premises for the school is necessary to take Tretherras forward. "Our concern is that if we don't plan something, the building won't change and it will literally be another generation before something new is built. What's it going to be like in 20 years?

"At the moment the building is quite serviceable, if not that exciting. But what will it feel like in 20 years?

"We felt duty-bound to be really upbeat about it."

A new school would cost around £24 million, added Mr Dunn, but the aim will be to achieve this a bit at a time.

"We can't believe that we will achieve the project in its entirety in a short space of time – we'd hope to achieve part of this in the next two years."

Cornwall Council said it could be a long wait for schools in the lower priority waves.

"It will take around 18 months to set up the delivery mechanisms required for finance, legal, planning, public consultation, contracting and then approximately three years to deliver the build on the priority wave.

"Wave one would, therefore, come at some point around 2014 and take another three years."