Work is finally underway on a �16 million rebuild of a city secondary school.
Construction workers moved on to Rushey Mead School, in Melton Road, Leicester, during the Easter holidays.
The project is part of Leicester's Building Schools for the Future programme (BSF).
It was due to start before Christmas but was delayed when the Government asked the city council to make savings in the overall scheme.
Head teacher Carolyn Robson said she was "thrilled" construction had started.
"I'm really excited it's all finally happening. It's been a long journey and involved lots of planning and hard work along the way," she said.
"Three main buildings are being built simultaneously and we'll move in gradually. The entire project is expected to take around two years to complete but we'll be in some of the buildings before then."
Pupils will return after the Easter break, with work to construct the three new buildings taking place around them on the same site.
The new school will be built on the existing playing fields and include a new six-court sports hall, science labs, dance studio and fitness suite for pupils and the community.
The school currently comprises a collection of buildings of various ages and conditions.
But once complete it will be transformed into a campus linked by a series of covered spaces, which will create outdoor teaching areas. Rushey Mead is the fifth school to be redeveloped as part of the Labour Government's �340 million programme to rebuild the country's crumbling schools.
The national project was scrapped by the coalition last July for being too "costly and wasteful" – but Leicester's was among the few saved from the axe, although the project had to be scaled back.
Judgemeadow, in Evington, Soar Valley, in Rushey Mead, Beaumont Leys School and Fullhurst College, in Braunstone, have already been refurbished and re-modelled.
Miller Construction is undertaking the work. Chris Webster, the firm's chief executive, said: "The first phase of Leicester's BSF programme was award winning and the schools have gone on to produce exemplary academic results and attendance which is, in part, attributed to the new facilities.
"These types of establishments benefit staff, learners, and the wider neighbourhood, and are at the heart of the communities they serve."
Councillor Vi Dempster, the city council's education spokeswoman said: "We've already seen the difference this programme has made to the other schools in the city.
"It's fantastic to have work start at Rushey Mead because it will mean improvements for the young people and their families, particularly through some environmentally- friendly features which will also add to pupils' learning."
Rushey Mead, which has about 1,400 pupils, has the highest rating from Ofsted inspectors who have judged it "outstanding".
 |  |
Students JLS Adventure travel Guantánamo Bay Gay and lesbian travel International criminal court
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento