The final structural installation at Abbeywood Community School in Stoke Gifford ahead of schedule, a milestone celebrated with a steel-signing ceremony.
To celebrate the event, representatives from South Gloucestershire Council were joined by the Olympus Academy Trust, school staff and pupils, as well as members of Morgan Sindall Construction and the wider team of consultants. All guests gathered at the site to sign the steel frame – a lasting gesture, although one that will remain hidden from view once the building takes shape.
The £11.6 million project is being delivered in two phases, with the overall scheme set to increase the school’s capacity to 1,500 pupils. The first phase, which was completed in March, included the refurbishment of the existing school kitchen, an extension to the dance studio, and the reconfiguration of changing rooms.
This latest steel-signing milestone marks the progress of Phase 2, which comprises the construction of a new standalone building that will house 10 additional classrooms, an office, staff working room, toilets, accessible facilities, and a lift to support SEN pupils.
A temporary four-classroom teaching block has also been installed for the duration of the construction programme to support the school’s expansion and meet its growing popularity in the community.
As works are taking place on the live school site, the project team has closely collaborated with Abbeywood Community School to share access, ensuring Morgan Sindall causes minimal disruption to pupils’ education throughout construction. In recognition of its sympathetic delivery, the project was recently awarded a perfect Considerate Construction score during its final visit.
To connect with the local community throughout works, Morgan Sindall is currently meeting – and in many cases exceeding – all community targets with six months left of the programme.
Rob Williams, area director for Morgan Sindall in Wales, said: “We’re incredibly proud to mark this milestone at Abbeywood School, celebrating our progress on Phase 2 with a steel signing. It means a great deal to play a role in creating much-needed school spaces for South Gloucestershire’s community, as this project is a great opportunity to apply our expertise and help support the area’s future generations. We’re excited to tick off more construction milestones as works continue in close collaboration with South Gloucestershire Council.”
South Gloucestershire Council cabinet member with responsibility for schools, Cllr Ian Boulton, said: “This is a really important moment in the redevelopment of Abbeywood school.
“For this much-needed project to be ahead of schedule and to be building towards not just a better school for young people in and around Stoke Gifford, but also a better environment for their generation, is such great news.”