Plans for a new secondary school in Greenwich have taken a major step forward as proposals have been submitted to planning officers.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has submitted plans to demolish the former Blackheath Bluecoats school in Old Dover Road to make way for the proposed Leigh Academy Blackheath.

The Blackheath Bluecoats site is currently housing St Mary Magdalene’s school temporarily, before it moves to a new permanent site on Greenwich Peninsula later this year.

Leigh Academy is a co-education 11-18 secondary school set to open in September 2018, starting at Victoria House in Shooters Hill Road in Blackheath as it waits for the new facilities to be completed half a mile away at Old Dover Road.

The secondary school was approved in January 2015, but difficulties finding a place to move into delayed any announcement.

Once St Mary Magdalene’s moves to the Peninsula, the Leigh Academy will move in and plans to open in September 2020.

ESFA submitted the plans, along with a separate scheme for a temporary school at the Old Dover Road site that can be opened next year, for 360 pupils.

Blackheath Bluecoats closed in 2014, and Leigh Academy hopes to replace the “dilapidated” buildings with modern facilities to cope with increasing demand for school places.

The proposals are for 1,150 secondary pupils in total, 900 aged 11-16 and 250 places in the sixth form.

According to planning documents, the site will be split across two blocks – a three-storey teaching section and a entrance, sports halls and a drama studio.

One of the existing school buildings dates from the 1910s but this has not been locally listed.

According to the proposal: “The teaching model of Leigh Academies is a ‘School within a School’.

“This is similar to a ‘house’ system, whereby the pupils will join a ‘college’ on day one of Year 7 and will stay in that college until they leave.

“This creates a small school feel where every teacher knows each of their pupils by name. Each college has its own set of general teaching classrooms, toilets, group areas and staff offices.”

The application is currently being assessed by officers, who will make a recommendation to councillors.

The application explains: “The proposals for Leigh Academy Blackheath will transform the site and provide the Royal Borough of Greenwich with much needed secondary school places for its growing population.

“The proposed academy will replace the existing ageing buildings and infrastructure with modern, state-of-the-art facilities.

“The proposed school includes specialist music, hall, practical and library spaces to suit the school’s current needs and future aspirations.”

This will be the latest Leigh Academies Trust’s school across Kent and south-east London, and will reach full capacity by 2024.