Aerial footage has captured the early stages of demolition of tower block St Mary’s in Barking as the second stage of the construction of Greatfields School gets underway.

Barking and Dagenham Council’s urban regeneration company, Be First, commission contractors Squibb Group to clear the way for the £28 million development.

The school will grow from just being a Year 7 and 8 school to being able to accommodate 2,430 pupils across a primary school, a secondary school and a sixth form.

The school is being built in three stages and will eventually cover over 21,500 square metres of the former Gasgoigne Estate, which is being redeveloped to provide hundreds of quality, affordable homes.

Council leader Darren Rodwell said: “Barking and Dagenham has one of the best records of providing school places in London, with three out of four pupils getting their preferred place.

“The building of Greatfields means we will keep up with the pace of an increasing school population.”