Midlands 1 project updates
Updated 2 May 2014
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1. Whitmore Park Primary School
1.1 First PSBP school opens
EFA officials joined staff and pupils at Whitmore Park Primary School in Coventry today (1 May) to officially open the new school building. Whitmore Park is the first school to be completed in the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) - a £2.4 billion programme to rebuild 261 of the schools in England in the worst condition.
The £5m project, a new build primary school for 630 pupils with a 39-place nursery, has been completed in just 11 months from the first spade going into the ground and has been constructed by Wates.
In total, 28 schools are now either under construction or open as part of the PSBP, while design work is now underway at 90% of the schools in programme. All schools will be delivered by the end of 2017 - 2 years earlier than originally planned. Given the success of the PSBP, ministers have also announced today a second phase of the programme, worth around £2 billion.
Read Education Funding Agency’s press release for more information.
Mike Green from the EFA, and representatives from Wates and Coventry Council join pupils and the headteacher from Whitmore Park at the opening ceremony.
1.2 Construction work begins
Construction work started on 24 May 2013 at Whitmore Park Primary school and the rebuild of this school will be complete by May 2014. Read Education Funding Agency’s press release for more information.
Staff and pupils at Whitmore Park Primary School help to mark the cutting of the first turf.
2. St Thomas More Primary School
St Thomas More Primary School held a special Catholic Church ceremony where the Archbishop blessed the foundation stone ahead of the school being rebuilt under the PSBP. Peter Lauener and Mike Green from Education Funding Agency joined the project team for this ceremony in November 2013.
The Archbishop joins staff from the school, EFA and constructor at the blessing ceremony.