Manchester schools going for gold

Pupils from Levenshulme High School and Acacias Primary School will take centre stage this week, when they take part in a golden bolt tightening ceremony.

The event marks the completion of the steel frame for the new building.

Building work began at the site of the two new schools in February and is expected to be completed by early 2012.

The £23.7m project will see the two adjacent schools redeveloped on a combined 61,154 sq m site on Crossley Road and Alexandra Drive that will be home to a brand new 420 place primary school (currently 345) with a 60 place nursery (currently 45) and a 1000 place part refurbished and part new high school for girls aged 11 to 16. 

Acacias Community Primary will be completely rebuilt, while approximately half of Levenshulme High will be refurbished and half rebuilt.

The investment in the two schools is funded through Manchester's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme and its Primary Capital Investment Strategy.

Levenshulme High School will feature a stunning entrance plaza connecting the retained part of the high school with the new building via a series of ramps and communal spaces.

Acacias will improve its current green spaces by retaining the existing trees and daffodils and developing them into an outside learning environment for pupils.

The two schools will be joined via a shared kitchen and dining area, with the opportunity to share further facilities. The historic 1920s facade of the current high school will be retained and enhanced.

Both schools will offer community facilities including an all weather sports pitch and a new grass pitch.

Councillor Sheila Newman, Manchester City Council's Executive Member Children's Services, says: "This is a terrific opportunity for continued investment in two of our schools with state of the art facilities. This investment is part of a wider strategy for giving young people a positive start in life with the skills and qualifications to become active citizens today and in the future."