Work on £1.8m school building underway

Work on a new £1.8m school building in Rotherham has moved forward, as the steel structure has been installed.

Pupils at St Pius X Catholic School took part in a steel signing ceremony to mark the development of the £1.8m new 648m² teaching block which is replacing an existing building on the site.

The new build is being carried out by energy and regeneration specialist ENGIE, who were appointed by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) as part of the Priority School Building Programme 2 to rebuild or refurbish school buildings most in need across the country.

The new build consists of five new teaching rooms, a staff room and toilets. The existing building will be knocked down with the remaining space being turned into an additional play area with sporting equipment.

Sean Corcoran, Regional Director at ENGIE, said: “At ENGIE, a development is not just made from bricks and mortar, it’s about community involvement and giving those involved a chance to benefit in other ways. The work we are doing provides an exciting future for the school, its students and the local community and this ceremony is a fantastic way to celebrate and to make sure it never gets forgotten.”

Sue Smith, Headteacher at St Pius X Catholic High School said: “The old building was no longer suitable and we wanted a quality teaching space for our students. The students care about the school and over the years have really looked after the rooms and equipment, so they deserve the best.

“The new building will offer an exciting learning experience with state-of-the-art equipment including a new art room and a pottery centre complete with kiln. Everyone is really excited to see the finished product.”

The new building, located on Wath Wood Road, has been designed by Race Cottam Associates and is due to be completed in July 2020.