EIGHT redundancies have been announced for Hyndburn Academy - just days after expansion plans were confirmed.

Bosses at the United Learning Trust, which oversees the former Norden High School and Accrington Academy, have revealed a shake-up will take place of their curriculum from September.

And this has resulted in the loss of five teaching and three non-teaching roles being lost, according to the Peterborough-based multi-academy trust.

Last week the Rishton establishment was given the green light by Hyndburn Council's planning committee to pull down two old blocks at the Stourton Street site.

The old science building and the Raising of School Leaving Age block had been condemned due to the presence of asbestos, councillors were told.

All classrooms there would be refurbished and the science labs moved to the first floor of the main building. A new staff car park would also be created.

Residents had opposed the move, fearing it would only exacerbate existing parking problems in the neighbourhood.

School managers say the staffing overhaul has been prompted by a desire to offer a full curriculum to students for the next academic year.

New posts had been created so that, from the new autumn term, each subject would be taught by a recognised specialist

A Hyndburn Academy spokesman said: "Over the past few months we been undertaking a restructuring of the school so that we can ensure that our students are able to access an appropriate curriculum in the future.

"This has included making a small number of redundancies of teaching and non-teaching staff.

"At all times, we aim to minimise compulsory redundancies and have managed to do so through a variety of means. Redundancies are never something that we look to make but, as with many other schools across the country, they are sometimes sadly inevitable."

Cllr Miles Parkinson, whose county division includes Rishton said it unfortunate for the affected staff.

But he believed the issues faced by the former Norden High, which missed out on major Building Schools for the Future cash a decade ago, required a radical solution.

He added: "There has had to be changes and it will be difficult for anyone who is facing losing their jobs.

"But the most important factor is the children and if there are any curriculum issues then they need to be addressed."