CLASS sizes normally associated with the independent sector are to be introduced at a Darlington primary school thanks to a major investment in resources.

Extra staff and new classrooms will come on stream at Reid Street Academy, which will reduce the number of pupils per class to just 20.

A £200,000 building programme will see a first-storey block added to the 420-pupil school that will be staffed by four extra teachers.

Class sizes will drop, allowing greater individual attention to be given to children, particularly in crucial areas such as numeracy and literacy.

Reid Street is in the heart of a concentrated housing area with severe restrictions on space.

Principal Paul Rhatigan said: "We are landlocked so the only alternative to expanding outwards was to build upwards.

"So we have added an extra storey to existing classrooms to give us the space we will need to deliver smaller class sizes.”

In July 2011, the school became one of the first in the region to convert to self-governing primary academy status and is considered good with outstanding features by Ofsted.

Mr Rhatigan added: "We have been working towards smaller class sizes since last September.

“We have been able to achieve this owing to the freedoms and opportunities that academy status affords us, enabling us to manage finances, expand the workforce and develop the school.

“It will allow us to give students far more individual teacher attention, creating the potential for them to make even stronger progress.”

Four extra staff have been recruited and the building work was finalised over the summer holidays in time for the September start.

Mr Rhatigan added: “I must thank parents, staff and the children for their support and for working so patiently around the contractors.”