A taste of things to come at Whalley Range High School

With a school population totalling more than 20 nationalities, lunchtime is always a feast of different cultures and tastes at Whalley Range High School.

And this was celebrated this week with the completion of the school's new kitchen and dining room - part of a £17m new build and redevelopment of the Wilbraham Road school.

The 1,600 all girls school specialising in business, enterprise and sport for 11 to 18 year olds, is undergoing a revamp as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme which will see all of Manchester's 33 secondary schools either rebuilt or refurbished - the largest investment in secondary education both the city and the north of England have ever seen.

The new £1.5m kitchen and dining area at the school is the first part of the redevelopment to be completed and has doubled the capacity of students able to dine together.

The innovative construction system of the new facilities was a first for a Manchester school as the kitchen and dining area was built off site and delivered as 26 prefabricated units.

Each unit was then slotted and bolted into place-a system that halved the time needed on site, minimising the disruption to the school.

In addition, an outdoor covered courtyard area has been designed including a cafe with an external food kiosk under a clear canopy.

Patsy Kane, headteacher at Whalley Range High School, says: "We are delighted by the quality of the new spaces for eating, socialising and learning that have been created. The students have a lovely modern, warm and comfortable space to enjoy nutritious, freshly cooked meals in a calm and safe environment.

"The spaces will be ideal for different learning experiences and will be a lovely venue for parents meetings and information sessions. The students are very proud of their new facilities."

The school recently received a Healthy Schools Award for its work in encouraging a healthy lifestyle and diet among students and also ensures it responds to the school make up with both halal and non-halal food on the menu.

Fresh meat and vegetables are provided daily along with a sugar free drink, and pupils and staff are encouraged to feedback on the food options.

Councillor Sheila Newman, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Children's Services, says: "The work at Whalley Range is only half completed, but is already making a tremendous impact on the lives of students and staff alike. The project is part of the final £98.5m wave of building refurbishment across the city that will transform the way we educate young people.

"Manchester's building programme is underpinned by a step change in thinking to ensure real transformational learning. Many of the new buildings have been designed with pupil involvement and are high quality, flexible, learning environments that use space efficiently, facilitate different learning styles and encourage community use."

Other work currently underway at the school includes a new teaching block incorporating a sixth form facility and a new student entrance. The project is due for completion at the end of next year (2011).