A two-storey extension which was completed at Burton Academy in February 2021, has been officially opened by Councillor Cordelia Law.
On Thursday 23 June, key stakeholders came together to celebrate the official opening of the improved facilities.
Despite the building works finishing almost eighteen months ago, covid restrictions prevented an official opening from taking place until now. Pupils however have been making full use of their improved facilities over this academic year. The new building has provided pupils with access to additional teaching spaces, giving students opportunities to learn from a wider curriculum and greater access to outdoor space.
The funding for the project was provided by Torbay Council to ensure young people succeed at the school and beyond.
Councillor Cordelia Law, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “We are proud to see pupils at Burton Academy thriving in the newly created exciting and engaging learning spaces and we will continue to look to provide funding to support education across Torbay.”
Burton Academy is part of the Catch22 Multi-Academies Trust, offering alternative education provision for 60 pupils aged 11 to 16 years old. Pupils attend this school from across Torbay as their needs cannot be met within a mainstream environment.
This is the second phase of a long-term plan of improvements for Burton Academy. The first phase saw the internal refurbishment to existing classrooms and internal remodelling, which was funded by Catch22 and completed in 2019. Burton Academy has seen the dramatic, positive impact these improvements are continuing to have on pupil’s behaviour and engagement. The third phase will see the provision of improved external space for pupils to explore, play and learn outside.
Steven Hulme, Headteacher at Burton Academy, said: “The improvements made to our school have had such a positive impact on the pupils. We have been able to amalgamate onto one site, creating a stronger school community, a more efficient learning environment, and enables us to provide a varied and engaging curriculum in an exciting way. It has been a great opportunity for us to showcase this at our official opening event.”
TDA, who are responsible for Torbay Council’s Schools Capital Programme, managed the developments at the school, providing architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical design for the project. TDA also provided the initial options appraisal, project management, quantity surveying, and consultation throughout the build.
Clare Talbot, Head of Education Services at TDA, said: “The opening event has been a great opportunity to see the new facilities at Burton Academy in full use and the positive impact they are having. We are incredibly proud of the support we can provide local schools to improve school accommodation and the learning environment.”
Bob Tranckle, Director at Nevada Construction, who delivered the building works for the project said: “It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside TDA, Torbay Council and The Burton Academy to deliver this challenging project, during what were unprecedented times. The site logistics were very restricting and despite the additional health and welfare challenges which the pandemic created, it was fantastic to be able to hand over the project on time, and to the client’s requirements.
Having the opportunity to return and see the benefits this project has bought to The Burton Academy a year on from completion has been a rewarding experience and instils our passion for working within the education sector to provide beneficial schemes for the youth of Torbay. As a local business, we look forward to being an important element of the economic development, regeneration and growth within the Torbay area through completing many more successful projects and continuing to develop our collaborative relationship with TDA and Torbay Council.”
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