Archbishop Blanch Secondary School, Liverpool

Archbishop Blanch Secondary School is the third secondary school we've built for Liverpool City Council since 2013.

It follows Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School, which opened in September 2013, and Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College, which open in September 2014 - and has transformed education facilities in this great city.

Archbishop Blanch is one of 12 schools being rebuilt under Liverpool City Council’s £170 Schools Investment plan, pledged by Mayor Joe Anderson.

Head teacher, Heather Duggan:

“This is a bigger, brighter space where we will continue to deliver first class education.Our new school will be a thriving hub; a centrepiece in the community and a building to learn and flourish in.”

Brilliant design

Procured through Scape Group's Major Works framework, Archbishop Blanch includes a huge synthetic sports pitch to nurture budding future sports and follows the same internal layout of the previous two schools in that classrooms are visible from several points, and the whole school can be seen from one particular point – and there are no corridors!

There is also a solar-panelled roof to generate electricity, a theatre, and recording and dance studios.

Transforming lives by creating jobs and sustaining local companies in Liverpool Building Futures in Liverpool

Sustainability and community

Willmott Dixon has a strong ethos of using local companies to create economic benefits and sustain jobs in the city. Local firms benefiting from the previous two schools include D Morgan, the demolition contractor, who helped save £20,000 on recycling costs at Notre Dame, plus A&B Engineering, an M&E company located four miles from the city centre. Another local firm, Cull Dry Lining, carried out plastering on both Notre Dame and Archbishop Beck schools.

Dozens of apprentices at Notre Dame and Archbishop Beck gained work experience on the projects, and Willmott Dixon worked with Liverpool John Moores University to recruit management trainees for the business.

On Archbishop Blanch, the project QS is 2020 Liverpool, another Liverpool company.