Academy making progress

Principal Eric Jackson (fourth from right) alongside pupils and guests celebrate the topping out by helping to raise the final piece of steel.

After nine months of work the new St Anne’s Academy school in Middleton, set to open in September 2010, with 750 places available for pupils aged 11-16 years and a further 150 places dedicated to post-16 education, is getting closer to completion.

The new academy is part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, that will see a radical transformation of secondary education in the borough. The building on Hollin Lane, Middleton, will accommodate 900 pupils through the creation of new buildings alongside the refurbishment of one of the existing school blocks.

The academy boasts modern layout built to maximise natural daylight with students needs firmly in mind. Energy efficient construction methods and environmentally friendly systems will also help the building achieve a 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions.

The Impact Partnership, a joint venture between Rochdale Borough Council, Mouchel and Agilisys, has acted as technical advisors for the project and is partnering the Council as contract administrators on the £17.6m academy.

Chris Ibbott, the Impact Partnership’s Project Manager and Lead Technical Advisor, said: “We are looking forward to September, when we will see the new facility open.”

Principal Eric Jackson said: “We are all very excited with progress.”