Work to build a £43million Rowley Regis super school could start in July after a bidder was chosen for the project.

A final detailed planning application for the school, which would sit on the former site of Rowley Regis College, is due to be submitted imminently after Sandwell Council chose private firm Environments for Learning (E4L) to carry out its £370m Building Schools for the Future programme.

When complete the new facility will be named Rowley Regis Learning Campus and cater for more than 1,000 pupils.

Sandwell Council leader Bill Thomas said the new facility would be the biggest education building in the history of Rowley Regis.

Cllr Thomas added: “It’s not just about bricks and mortar – it’s about the quality of education in particular the advances of IT which will put Cradley Heath and Rowley Regis at the forefront of the technology revolution.

“It’s going to be an iconic building, sitting at the top of the Rowley hills. We are all ready to exploit this superb opportunity to create modern schools of which we can be proud.”

Cllr Thomas said the decision to choose E4L was partly based on their commitment to use local firms in the project.

When complete the new school will also include state-of-the-art facilities including sports, performing arts and design and technology blocks.

It will incorporate the current St Michael's Secondary School in Thorne Road, Westminster Special School in West Bromwich and Whiteheath Pupil Referral Unit also in Thorne Road.

Twenty schools in the borough are expected to benefit from the BSF programme. The council also has plans to build a £13million primary school in Cradley Heath to replace the ageing Corngreaves, Old Hill and Reddal Hill primary schools.