Construction and infrastructure company, Morgan Sindall, has celebrated a major milestone in its work expanding Wexham School Sports College, Slough, with a steel signing ceremony.
Headteacher Lawrence Smith was joined by the school’s year seven and eight students, teachers and governors, as well as representatives from Morgan Sindall, Slough Borough Council and Slough Urban Renewal (SUR) management team, to mark the occasion.
SUR is an innovative public-private partnership between Slough Borough Council and Morgan Sindall Investments Ltd, which is driving regeneration across the town, delivering new leisure facilities and housing, along with community and school buildings.
The work at Wexham School is part of the council’s ambitious school places programme – a multi-million pound investment in primary and secondary school buildings, extensions and new schools – to provide enough places for Slough’s current and future young people.
The £10 million pound project is creating a new three-storey teaching block, to allow for the school’s expansion into an eight-form entry secondary school. There has also been internal alterations to the existing building, as well as additional parking spaces added on site to accommodate more staff.
The 32,000 sq ft teaching block will house 28 classrooms, a library, a sixth-form study centre, group rooms, staff work rooms, and a reception area. The school’s existing library is being redeveloped to create two new science laboratories.
Additionally the landscaping will create a campus corridor to link the existing school building and the playing fields, as well as covered cycle storage to encourage sustainable travel for both staff and pupils. 
James York, area director at Morgan Sindall, said: “With Slough billed as one of the best places to live and work in the country, it’s sure to see its population increase. Being able to deliver modern, future-proof schools, quickly and cost-effectively is an important planning consideration.
“We’re incredibly pleased to be working with the council to enhance the education offering in the area, and it’s gratifying to mark this milestone in the school’s expansion.”
Lawrence Smith, headteacher at Wexham School, said: “I am exceptionally proud that Slough Borough Council chose Wexham to invest in. Redeveloping and adding these fantastic facilities to our already impressive Science, Technology and Creative Arts – and of course Sports facilities – we will really have a school fit for 21st century education. This combined with our recent Ofsted inspection in November 2017, where the school was judged Good in all areas, will give us the launch pad we need to be a truly great school.”
Councillor Shabnum Sadiq, cabinet member for education and children, added: “By providing high quality learning environments and improved teaching spaces like the ones being built at Wexham School, we can help our young people get the best start in life.
“We are working hard to meet the demand for additional school places across our fast growing borough and the work being undertaken on this site forms a key part of the council’s ambitious school places programme.”
Andy Howell, SUR general manager, said: “We are delighted to be delivering state-of-the-art-new facilities and providing improved learning environments for young people in Slough. Everyone involved has worked collaboratively to get this project designed and into construction at a very quick pace – signing the steel frame is a great way for the students to leave a hidden legacy.”
Construction work is due to be completed by winter 2018.