£18.5 million school rebuild starts in Hessle, Yorkshire
The school rebuild is part of the government’s £2.4 billion Priority School Building Programme.
Hessle High School and Sixth-Form College in East Yorkshire hosted an official turf-cutting ceremony on 3 December 2014 to mark the start of the construction work to replace its old, dilapidated school building.
The school is 1 of 5 projects in the region to get underway as part of the government’s £2.4 billion Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) to rebuild or refurbish 260 of the schools in England in the worst condition.
Currently, the school is split over 2 sites and has 1,450 students, including 200 students in the sixth form. Thanks to the PSBP, pupils attending the school are set to benefit from an £18.5 million, fit-for-purpose rebuild that will allow the school to operate from one site. The new combined site will provide new science labs, ICT and teaching areas and sports facilities for up to 1,550 pupils, including 230 students in the sixth form.
Schools Minister David Laws said:
The start of construction work at Hessle High School and Sixth-Form College marks a key milestone for the Priority School Building Programme in East Yorkshire and an exciting phase in the development of the school.
Delivering great new schools will help to build a stronger economy and a fairer society, so that every young person across the region can get on in life.
Vital building work is taking place at schools in the worst state across the country. We are making excellent progress, with 14 school buildings now open.
Excited students and staff from the school were joined by council dignitaries, representatives from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) and the contractor, Galliford Try, for a turf-cutting ceremony to celebrate the start of work.
Sarah Young, Executive Headteacher of Hessle High School and Sixth-Form College, said:
Our school and wider community are delighted to see the start of the project. Students have been very excited about the build and we are working with Galliford Try Construction to maximise every opportunity for learning throughout the construction phase.
Beyond that the facilities within the new school will further support high-quality learning and enable our students both now and in the future to achieve their full potential.
Mike Kershaw, Galliford Try Project Director, said:
We are delighted to start works on the new facilities, creating an inspiring environment for Hull’s young people to grow and flourish.
We look forward to working with the EFA and the schools in Hull and East Riding to produce the high-quality buildings and facilities their pupils deserve.
The work at Hessle High School and Sixth-Form College is due for completion by summer 2016. In total, 10 schools will be rebuilt or refurbished under the PSBP in the Hull and East Riding area. Hessle High School and Sixth Form College is 1 of 5 projects being rebuilt or refurbished by Galliford Try across the region.
The government is determined to raise the standard of schools and the education they provide as part of its plan for education. The PSBP is building on the progress already made in delivering a more efficient, faster, less bureaucratic approach to building schools.
As of December 2014, 14 PSBP schools have now opened in new buildings, 59 schools are currently under construction and all 260 schools are due for completion by the end of 2017 - 2 years earlier than originally planned.
Given the success of the PSBP, the government has announced a second phase of the programme, worth around £2 billion. Applications are currently being considered and successful applicants will be confirmed by the end of the year.
Notes to editors
- The PSBP is a centrally managed programme set up to address the condition of the schools most in need of urgent repair. Through the PSBP, 260 schools will be rebuilt or have their condition needs met.
- Over the course of this Parliament, the government is allocating £5 billion to local authorities to support the provision of new school places and £2.8 billion for the maintenance of the school estate to meet the needs of maintained schools and academies. Over the spending review period, the total capital made available for investment in schools in England will be about £18 billion.
- Given the success of the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) so far, in May the government announced a further £2 billion to address condition needs in some of the worst school buildings across the country. Applications are currently being considered and successful applicants will be confirmed by the end of the year.
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