A rundown school in Wembley will “turn over a new leaf” thanks to an £18 million grant for much-needed repairs.

Copland Community School, in Cecil Park, which teaches children aged 11 to 18, has been in “desperate” need of the grant to rebuild the site, which has been deteriorating over the last ten years.

Last week, Brent Council announced the school would receive the money under a programme called Priority School Building.

Graham Plunkett, who was brought in as headteacher two years ago, says he was “delighted” with the news.

He said: “The whole school is deteriorating. There’s damp on the ceilings and our classrooms our tiny. It’s been a long road, but this money is such a positive step for the school."

Mr Plunkett particularly highlighted the need for bigger classrooms and more equipment for the sports, science and art departments.

He explained that the current school building, built in 1952, would be completely knocked down and rebuilt from scratch, but a specific time scale has not yet been finalised.

Speaking in the aftermath of former head Sir Alan Davies charged with fraud, along with four other former teachers of the secondary school, last Wednesday, Mr Plunkett added: “A few years ago, the name Copland School brought about all these negative connotations after the teachers were sacked and arrested for fraud, but now this is us looking to the future.

“The school is turning over a new leaf, and you will only hear good things out of Copland School from now on.”

The headmaster says his pupils are delighted with the news and will play a large part in deciding what the new school building will look like and how it will be equipped.

Leah Miller, who is in year ten, says the school currently has “cupboard-like classrooms” and not enough equipment.

She said: “It’s a really unsettling place to work right now, because the whole building is falling apart, which is a shame because the teachers are great.

“It’s not a very inviting place to be, but hopefully this money will turn all that around. You want to study somewhere that has a nice atmosphere. That’s what’s going to help you achieve better grades.”

Her classmate George Russell, 15, added that he hoped to see a new study space and drama and dance studio in the new building.

He said: “We don’t have anywhere we feel like we can study during our break times, and I think that’s really important.

“And our current drama studio is one tiny room that doesn’t even have air conditioning. That’s the kind of thing that really puts people off, which isn’t good during your GCSE year.”

Dervisa Draganovic, 14, who is also in year ten, says that some of the school’s current art, science and sport supplies are “tattered.”

She said: “Everything is so old right now, and sometimes my art grades drop because there’s not the right type of paint or paintbrush, for example.

“We don’t have many sports facilities and the Bunsen burners we use for science are tattered. Everything is deteriorating.

“Copland has seen some ups and downs in the last few years, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.”