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A brand-new school in Leamington Spa has reached a key construction milestone as the final bolt in its structure was fastened during a ceremony earlier this week.
The topping-out ceremony – a construction ritual referring to the installation of the final piece of structure and reaching its maximum height – at Oakley School was attended by Warwickshire County Council, Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust, Mace, Corstorphine + Wright, and national contractor Willmott Dixon, who is currently delivering the project.
Warwickshire County Council’s £61m project is an all-through facility that includes a 34-place nursery, 420-place primary and 900-place secondary school with SEND provision. The new school facilities will be completed in summer 2024, ahead of the new school year in September.
Michelle Cotterill, director, at Willmott Dixon, said:
“It was brilliant to have the key project stakeholders mark the latest milestone in this important project for Warwickshire. Having Cllr Peter Butlin, portfolio holder for finance and property at Warwickshire County Council, fasten a special gold final bolt in the secondary school building’s structure added a sense of history to the process and created a memorable moment.
“Oakley School is a major investment into the next generation of Warwickshire’s education offering and we are making sure that the legacy of our involvement goes beyond just construction. Therefore, we are investing £1.5m through social value activities and focusing on student engagement. This includes delivering careers talks, work experience, traineeships for those not in employment, education or training, and creating local job opportunities.”
With significant development in the local area, including new housing, the new all-through school will help to meet the needs of local families by providing much-needed school places. The school also includes a number of facilities that will benefit the wider community, including a stand-alone sports hall, several natural turf pitches and an all-weather pitch – which are for educational and community use.
Cllr Kam Kaur, portfolio holder for education at Warwickshire County Council, said:
“The Oakley School is the council’s largest ever financial commitment to a school. It is an amazing response to the educational needs that the area will soon be seeing, providing outstanding opportunities for learning for so many children and young people as well as being a really positive focal point for all of the community.
“It’s so exciting to see the stages of progress as we near completion and I hope that the local community will share our anticipation.”