Plans to transform a rugby club into a temporary school have been approved by the Department of Education allowing it to open in 2020 – one year later than initially planned.

The trust behind the proposal, South West Essex Community Trust, has received formal confirmation from the Department of Education that the academy has ‘approval to open’, allowing it to enter into a lease agreement with the Thurrock Rugby Club in Blackshots.

The trust aims to have the club operating as a temporary school from September 2020, giving school places to 120 Year 7 pupils who will eventually be moved over to the planned 1,200-place Orsett Heath Academy which is expected to open sometime around 2022.

Approval from the government has come as a welcome relief to the trust and the council after initial plans to have the temporary school open by September 2019 collapsed due to delays in funding.

This forced several other secondary schools to expand classroom sizes to make up for the shortfall in places.

Steve Munday, chief executive of the trust said: “We know how vital new school places are to the borough, and despite some setbacks, we have been determined to open the academy and provide our community with an excellent new school.

“I very much look forward to the building work commencing and finally being able to welcome our first cohort of Year 7 students in 2020.”

Councillor James Halden, who oversees education in Thurrock, said: “This is great news for Thurrock’s young people. The new academy will provide an additional 1,200 pupil places when full.

“Thurrock Council has already committed £3million for a temporary building to ensure the school opens next academic year, which will then become a great joint resource with the rugby club. In addition, cabinet have added an additional £1million to the capital plan for additional highway works in Blackshots to help new schools become a comfortable part of the local community.

“The council and partners are investing over £70million to create over 3,500 new school places whilst adding and improving sports facilities. This illustrates our ongoing commitment to working with schools and the local community to ensure young people in the borough get the best possible education.”

Once pupils at the rugby club have been moved over to the new academy school, the building will remain in use for educational and sports by the club, creating what has been labelled as an ‘institute of sport’.

Andy Stanford, chairman of the club said: “Thurrock Rugby Club are delighted to be working with the trust on this important and exciting project. We are pleased that work will soon start and look forward to seeing the building and other developments taking shape.”

Thurrock has been in urgent need of extra school places due to the massive predicted population increase in South Essex which is set to bring as many as 32,000 new homes to Thurrock in the next two decades.

In response, the council has worked to get three new free schools built in the borough, delivering a total of 3,500 school places. As well as Orsett Heath Academy, these will include Thames Park Secondary School on Chadwell Road, Grays, and Treetops Special Free School on Buxton Road, also in Grays.