Portland's academy is planning to significantly reduce the number of students it takes because the current site is too small.

Atlantic Academy Portland is consulting on a proposal to reduce the size of its reception year from 90 to 60 places and year 7 from 150 to 120 places.

The changes are expected to lower the student population from around 1,580 to 1,220 in the long term.

AAP, the new name for the former IPACA which is now run by Aspirations Academies Trust, says the move is about providing a better quality of learning and education.

But the plan has been criticised by local councillors.

According to a consultation document, the current buildings, Maritime House and Osprey Quay, do not have the physical capacity to house the current number of students and educate them effectively.

It says: “The executive principal, principal and members of the senior leadership team believe that a full to capacity school would significantly compromise the ability of the school to attain an ‘outstanding’ climate for learning.”

The academy moved into refurbished buildings at Maritime House in September 2016.

Meanwhile, the Echo reported earlier this year that the decision to move Years 1 to 4 from Osprey Quay to Maritime House to fit in with plans for an all-through academy triggered an outcry from parents over arranging transport to and from the site.

The academy said the school would work to meet the needs of applicants.

It said: “The ultimate aim is for every child on the isle of Portland to attend Atlantic Academy Portland and so efforts will be made to expand the building provision when and if this becomes necessary.”

The academy is currently consulting with parents, the local authority and the wider community about the proposal.

Cllr Sandy West said: “The academy should be for all children on the island.

“We don’t want children farmed out to Weymouth.”

Cllr Rod Wild said: “The AAP proposals seem to be a complete reversal of the original policy of trying to get kids over from Weymouth, but it ought to be a reviver for the new Brackenbury project.”

Cllr Lucy Grieve said she supported the proposal and that the Brackenbury site should be used for a new primary school.

She added: “I am going to support the proposal to reduce the number of children to sixty.

“There’s not enough room at Maritime House for three classes.

“What we need is a primary school in Underhill. We have got a site. That’s where I think Underhill’s children should be going, they shouldn’t have to go all the way to the south of the island.”

In response to concerns, Claire Addis, executive principal of Atlantic Academy Portland, said the proposed figures reflect the academy’s current demand for pupils, as well as the local authority’s figures for the number of children on the island, and the offer available at other schools including St George’s Primary.

She said: “The proposed numbers are reflective of the number of students we have at the school.

“We are putting in place a more formalised version of what is already happening.”

As part of the academy’s oversubscription criteria, priority would be given to applicants who are looked after children (in the care of a local authority) children with siblings already at the academy, children of teaching staff and children who live nearest to the school.

The academy’s proposed admissions policy would also give children with special educational needs an allocated place before other children are considered.

The consultation will close at 4pm on Friday, January 12. If the proposal is approved, the changes will come into effect in September 2019.