£4.5m extension will provide space for more Ardwick school pupils

Bolton construction firm Seddon is undertaking a £4.5m project at an Ardwick school to provide capacity for an anticipated surge in pupil numbers.

The firm is extending the current buildings for Dean Trust Ardwick by constructing a new two-storey teaching block, providing space for 120 extra pupils within the dining area.

The new spaces are designed by Ellis Williams Architects.

The company will also refurbish existing classrooms and modify landscaped areas for parking.

Dean Trust Ardwick has served the local area since 2015, originally with space to accommodate 1,200 pupils.

However, in just five years the school has identified the need to extend its existing learning environments in order to take on more pupils from Ardwick.

The work will enable pupil numbers to increase to 1,350 students.

On March 11, Dean Trust Ardwick held a ceremony to celebrate work commencing to make these vital adjustments.

In attendance was Tarun Kapur, chief executive of The Dean Trust, alongside the school’s head girl, Jun Shen, and head boy, Oways Sherif.

They were joined by local councillors Amna Saad Omar Abdullatif and Tina Hewitson.

The project team from Seddon was accompanied by Nicola Hodkinson, business services director, and Katy Harris, preconstruction director.

Tarun Kapur said: “The Dean Trust is delighted to once again be working in partnership with Manchester City Council to support the growing need for school places in the city.

“The project, which is being delivered by Seddon, will provide additional accommodation both for our pupils and staff, as well as for the wider community that it serves.

The proposed Dean Trust development

“This will enable local children to attend a local school, delivering a first-class education and learning environment which we believe the community rightly deserves.”

Nicola Hodkinson said: “The more school places we can help to deliver in local areas, the better. Manchester, in particular, is only growing, so we need to respond to the pressure put on our education infrastructure as quickly as possible.

“The work we are doing to extend Dean Trust Ardwick will be invaluable to the growing number of local young people who rely on the school to forge their futures and the exceptional team that teaches them.”

The project begins this month and is expected to be ready by November 2020.