Work starts at the site of two new multi million pound academies in north Manchester

Building work begins this week on the site of two new multi million pound academies in north Manchester.

And a silver spade ceremony with Academies Executive Principal Barry Fishwick and students will mark the official start of construction at the £38m Manchester Creative and Media Academies site.

A team of students from both academies will record the momentous occasion by filming the ceremony and interviewing guests about their hopes and aspirations for the new schools.

Manchester Creative and Media Academies are currently housed on the sites of the former North Manchester High School for Girls (Moston) and North Manchester High School for Boys (Blackley).

But the brand new state of the art purpose built Academies will open in September 2012 and will be a totally new way of educating young people helping them gain the skills they need to build their careers in the city's businesses.

The two 750 place single sex academies on a shared campus will be centres of excellence in creative and media education and digital learning technologies and will also have capacity for 120 post 16 students.

The four storey campus will boast a range of facilities including a high tech recording studio, a theatre, music and drama rooms, a dance studio, an ICT and media suite, meeting rooms and a learning resource centre and café - all of which will be available to the local community.

Barry Fishwick, Executive Principal for Manchester Creative and Media Academies , says: "Students, staff, parents and the community have all been eagerly anticipating this day and we are thrilled that work is beginning on what is going to be a truly exceptional campus. It will provide a 21st century learning environment for our children and great facilities for the wider community."

The two Creative and Media academies are being built on a site in Blackley bounded by the existing boys' academy location to the south and Victoria Avenue East to the north. They will operate as separate schools within one 13,700 sq m building forming an academies campus. However pupils will dine together and share the use of specialist classrooms.

The academies site will also have a green roof and allotment area accessible to pupils, a courtyard with a performance area and external teaching and dining areas.

Environmentally friendly aspects of the building will include a heating and cooling system that will be provided by renewable technologies and rainwater harvesting.

Councillor Sheila Newman, Manchester City Council Executive Member for Children's Service's, says: "The start of work at the Creative and Media Academies is a significant milestone for both north Manchester and the city as a whole. They will be groundbreaking schools that will be home to innovative learning spaces, will foster talent and arm our children and young people with the self-confidence, ability and ambition to achieve their full potential and succeed in the world of work."

The lead sponsor for the two academies is The Manchester College with co-sponsors Manchester City Council and Microsoft.

Barbara Forshaw, Acting Principal, The Manchester College, said: "The launch of the Manchester Creative and Media Academies has already significantly changed the face of secondary education in the local area, but these new buildings will provide extensive new benefits and a real sense of identity for everyone who uses them. As lead sponsor, The Manchester College is committed to providing the very best opportunities for young people and local residents, and this event marks an important milestone in that mission."

The academies are part of a combined Building Schools for the Future and Academies programme with a £509m capital investment to rebuild or refurbish 33 schools, seven of which will be specialist academies (five academies opened across the city last September).

It is the largest investment in secondary education both the city and the north of England have ever seen.