5 July 2012 Last updated at 11:05 ET

Christ College Brecon in £5m anniversary investment boost

An architect's impression of the planned memorial hall at Christ College, Brecon

One of Wales' oldest schools is embarking on an investment programme worth about £5m to mark its 475th anniversary in 2016.

Among the major plans for Christ College, Brecon, which educates children from aged 11, is the creation of a junior school.

It would also like to build a community hall, an indoor tennis academy and renovate its historic chapel.

It comes as another independent school is facing money problems.

Last week, the latest reported accounts published by the Charity Commission showed that Llandovery College in Carmarthenshire had debts of more than £2m.

Parents of pupils have since backed a rescue plan to overcome the issue which threatens its future.

Among the plans for Christ College is a £2m memorial hall, which could be used for school events, performances and conferences, and would be available for the wider community to use.

Plans for Christ College include

• A memorial hall costing £2m
• The redevelopment of its "iconic" cricket pavilion
• A new indoor tennis academy costing £1.5m
• Renovation of the school's historic chapel
• A new 475th anniversary scholarship and bursary fund
• A new junior school

At the same time, Christ College has announced that planning is under way to establish a junior school.

Head of Christ College Emma Taylor said: "For many years Christ College has considered opening a junior school, or junior section.

"Earlier this year the school commissioned some market research into the feasibility of extending our teaching range below the age of 11, and the feedback from this research, as well as the changing nature and shape of the school over time, has encouraged us to make a decision in principle to go ahead and develop plans for teaching junior forms."

Anne Boleyn

About the anniversary, she added: "With our 475th anniversary on the horizon, we have given a huge amount of thought to what we want our school to represent for future generations, and are proud and excited to announce this ambitious scheme to put in place a number of major developments over the next five years."

Christ College said it had submitted plans for the memorial hall with Brecon Beacons National Park.

The school has launched a 475th Anniversary Campaign to help fund the various schemes.

Christ College was founded by a royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1541.

It is on the site of a Dominican friary dissolved by the king after the pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so he would be free to marry Anne Boleyn.