Work to deliver a new primary and secondary school in Lyde Green near Bristol is under way after the final funding agreements and contracts were signed.
The project has experienced delays in recent years, due to the pandemic and project cost inflation, leading to a significant rise in the scheme’s estimated cost. The two schools had originally been due to open in September 2022.
The 420-place, primary school will be run by the Castle School Education Trust (CSET) and the 900-place, 11-16 secondary school will be run by Olympus Academy Trust.
Completion is expected for the start of the autumn 2026 school term.
The total project funding is more than £58.3m, which is made up of almost £24m from South Gloucestershire Council, and more than £34.3m from the Department of Education under the Free Schools Programme.
The buildings will be built to Passivhaus standards. Bam regional director Tim Chell promised that the schools would be “net zero carbon, efficient to run, and enjoyable places to learn”.
Bam has already completed two energy-efficient school buildings in South Gloucestershire, at Frenchay and Elm Park.
South Gloucestershire Council co-leader and cabinet member with responsibility for schools, Cllr Ian Boulton, said: “Since we formed the new administration last year our focus has been to finally deliver these vital schools. I am delighted that we are now able to see construction getting underway and that funding has been secured to deliver these brand-new schools for the local community. I would like to thank our officers and partners who have been working flat out in order to get to this point with a view to meeting the challenging deadlines we have set for ourselves.”
