A prestigious public school has been gifted £1 million for a new music suite.

Seaford College, set in more than 400 acres of rolling parkland at Lavington Park, near Petworth, will use the cash to convert an old stable block in its grounds.

The suite will include a choir rehearsal room, classrooms for GCSE and A-level music, a computer room, a keyboard room with large flexible teaching and performance space and a soundproofed band practise room.

There will also be facilities for composing, which will allow the college to offer a course in music technology and the courtyard will be given a roof to create a covered concert arena.

Headmaster Toby Mullins said: "We have wanted to restore this historic part of the Lavington estate to its original glory for a long time. The plans for the new music school will do exactly that and, at the same time, bring the building into line with the requirements of a college in the 21st Century."

The stables had been used as a science department but the opening of a new maths and science block earlier this year has freed the space.

The grant was made by the the Hove-based Hollington Trust, which has connections with the school going back 60 years.

Plans for the project were drawn up by The Miller Bourne Partnership, of Hove, which also designed the school's maths and science suite.

Music and drama play an important part in the life of the college, which has 450 pupils aged 11 to 18.

Pupils participate in at least one major production each year, learning behind-the-scenes skills as well as performing on stage.

The internationally acclaimed Chapel Choir has been featured on television and sung before the Queen. The choir is often invited to sing at prestigious occasions and performs regularly at home and abroad.

Mr Mullins said: "The new maths and science building has already done much to promote science in the college curriculum and we hope the development of the new music facility will have the same impact on music, drama and the arts at Seaford College.

"This is the latest in a long line of improvements we have been able to carry out at the college in the past six years and our facilities are now the envy of many other schools in the area."