Work begins on next phase of Wolverhampton’s £270m BSF

WORK on the next phase of Wolverhampton’s multi-million pound education transformation project is now under way.

Contractors are now on site at the remaining nine schools that will benefit from the £270m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

Phase Three of the scheme represents an investment of £57m and will see rebuilds and refurbishments at Aldersley High, New Park, North East Wolverhampton Academy, Penn Hall, Smestow, St. Peter’s Collegiate and Wolverhampton Girls’ High schools, Westcroft Sports and Vocational College and the city’s three Pupil Referral Units, the Midpoint, Orchard and Braybrook centres.

Work on these schools has now begun with the last of this phase anticipated to be completed by September 2014, ready for the new term.

Cllr Phil Page, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Learning, said: “I am extremely delighted to see work starting on the third phase of our BSF programme.

“These rebuilds and refurbishments will provide first class facilities for children and young people and inspire them to achieve great results.

“We are immensely proud of what is already being achieved with the scheme and this further demonstrates our commitment to enhancing education and the learning environment in the city.”

The latest phase will see the following work carried out:

•    New Park School – improvements to the PE/Activity hall, dining hall, reception area, food tech, science, design technology and ICT rooms, sports hall, changing areas and music area, the creation of an enclosed walkway from the dining room to the sports hall, refurbishment of the Key Stage 4 area and external works to the main entrance.
•    Aldersley High School – improvements including the creation of a new theatre, the remodelling of some of the existing building and reorganisation of the Learning Zones as part of plans to increase the pupil roll from around 700 to 1,050.
•    Penn Hall School – part rebuild/part refurbishment including a new mezzanine area for Art/ICT, new Sixth Form Centre dining area, care room and toilets, the refurbishment of the Science and Life Skills room, sensory room and outdoor area and the creation of a new main entrance.
•    Westcroft Sports and Vocational College – the creation of a new two-storey teaching block for secondary school year groups and post-16 students along with a new four-court Sports Hall as school roll increases from around 167 to 180 students. Three existing classrooms will also be extended while the rest will be refurbished, and the entrance will be remodelled.
•    North East Wolverhampton Academy – Oak House and Poplar House will be refurbished and remodelled with some new build at Poplar House to create a new main school entrance for staff, pupils and visitors.
•    Smestow School – the school will receive a new sports hall, entrance and science areas while the existing buildings will be refurbished and remodelled.
•    St. Peter’s Collegiate School – new music and sixth form facilities will be created, while existing buildings will be refurbished and remodelled. There will also be a new car park and a remodelled main entrance.
•    Wolverhampton Girls High School – Existing buildings will be refurbished and remodelled with some new build to create a new main school entrance for staff, pupils and visitors, together with Science and Sixth Form facilities.
•    Pupil Referral Units – the Midpoint, Orchard and Braybrook centres will co-locate onto the Parkfields site off Wolverhampton Road East. The existing school buildings will be refurbished and while they will benefit from some shared spaces, such as for sport, each Pupil Referral Unit will operate as a separate entity with its own areas for pupils and staff.

Schools in the city are already reaping the rewards from the programme with the first seven – South Wolverhampton and Bilston Academy, Wednesfield High, King’s Church of England, Highfields Science Specialist, Penn Fields, Tettenhall Wood and Coppice Performing Arts schools – being unveiled in September last year.

The final phase of the programme will see the redevelopment of the remaining secondary schools in the city – Deansfield, Heath Park and Moseley Park. Preparatory work has already begun with these schools and it is intended that all three schools will see a start on site later this year.