One of Stoke-on-Trent’s most iconic buildings is to be used by a school.
Two-hundred students from Burslem’s Haywood Sixth Form Academy will be moving into the town’s School of Art from September.
Now a £1.5 million refurbishment is to be carried out between February and July before the students move in.
It comes as 100 sixth-formers from the academy are already taught at nearby Burslem Town Hall.
Burslem School of Art Trust carried out a refurbishment of the building in 2000.
The transformation of the Grade-II listed School of Art will include an enterprise suite, a photography area, an art room, an IT centre and a science and language lab.
Executive headteacher Carl Ward said: “Haywood Sixth Form Academy is becoming as popular as I had hoped when many parents and students asked if we would consider opening a few years ago.
“Our first phase of building work was the refurbishment of Burslem Town Hall. Moving our plans for the second phase of building work to Burslem School of Art is part of our commitment to improving the wider community.
“It will allow us to spend more of the money we have been granted to improve educational facilities and equipment for students and will bring another great historic English building back to life.”
The Burslem School of Art Trust will continue to operate from the building when the college is not open to students.
Trust chairman Patrick Redmond said: “We look forward to the next stage of the development of the history of this fantastic building in partnership with Haywood Academy.”
Famous former School of Art pupils include Clarice Cliff, Susie Cooper and William Moorcroft.
Former Stoke-on-Trent North MP Joan Walley, who is vice-chairman of the City Learning Trust, said: “This is wonderful news for the students and Burslem.
“It makes more sense to make best use of our heritage buildings and re-use and renovate them rather than invest in a new building.
“Our vision is a ‘Burslem campus’ for the whole community.
“We are ensuring a long term future for this much-loved building.”
