Children from across the area could benefit from a new “centre of excellence” for vocational education proposed this week.

The centre, on the site of Oak Farm Community School in Farnborough, would provide teenagers with world-class facilities to study new diploma qualifications that would take the place of GCSEs and A-Levels.

Children could transfer to the academy at the age of 14, where traditional classroom-based learning would take a back seat in favour of hands-on training, in-depth coursework projects and work experience.

Alternatively, pupils could remain at traditional secondary schools in Aldershot, Farnbor-ough, Fleet, Yateley, Camberley, Farnham or Ash to study some traditional GCSE subjects, and travel to the centre in Farnborough on certain days of the week.

The range of diplomas on offer would include computing, catering and hospitality, engineering, construction, sport, music and drama, environmental and land-based studies, and media studies.

The new skills academy could be up and running in three years, if Hampshire County Council leaders agree to the plans.

As part of government plans to reward areas that pioneer the new qualifications, the academy could also benefit from grants of up to £5million per subject area.

The move, proposed by Oak Farm headteacher Gren Earney at a meeting with the county council’s leaders on Monday, would secure a future for the secondary school’s Mayfield Road campus, which looks likely to close in 2010 due to falling pupil numbers.

The plans would help to secure the school site for its huge community work. Currently it hosts more than 100,000 adults a year in evening classes, clubs and weekend activities.

“We have an exciting opportunity, a vision for the future supported by groups across the area,” Mr Earney told the meeting. “We could help this community raise its self-esteem and help the business community by providing a better-skilled workforce. This could put this area on the map.”

Community leaders and headteachers at other schools welcomed the plans.

Megan Jones, head of Cove School, said the current arrangements for teaching diplomas across Hart and Rushmoor did not work well.

“There is an opportunity here to do something very bold and put Hampshire at the forefront of education,” she said.

“Let’s establish a centre of excellence here which would have to be used.”

Cllr Ken Thornber, leader of Hampshire County Council, thanked the school for its “bold vision” and asked for more details on how the plans could work.

He and other top Conservative politicians on the county’s decision-making cabinet are due to rule on the future of the school in January.