The highest point of the roof has been completed at Glebe Farm ‘All through’ School. The new sustainably-built school will cater for children from Reception through to Year 11 and provide places for up to 1,530 pupils, plus provision for a 39 place full-time equivalent (FTE) nursery.
At a ‘topping out’ ceremony yesterday, the Mayor planted a fir tree to mark the occasion while beer from a local brewery was poured on the roof – a good luck tradition which can be dated back to Ancient Egypt.
Representatives from the school leadership (Inspiring Futures through Learning Multi-Academy Trust), members of Milton Keynes Council, construction company Morgan Sindall and local partners also placed their signatures on to the steel structure.
Since 2015, the Council has built five new schools and expanded 18 others to make sure the rising number of local children (up by 4,112 pupils) all have a good quality school place.
Glebe Farm School is expected to open from September 2022 and will benefit families living in Glebe Farm for children in Year R to Year 6 and a wider catchment - Glebe Farm, Eagle Farm, Woburn Sands and Wavendon Village for children in Year 7 to Year 11.
Development of the school is taking place on a 95,000m2 site - an area larger than 13 football pitches, off Burney Drive in Glebe Farm.
The school is being developed 'gas free' with state-of-the-art sustainable heating technology in line with the Council's vision to tackle climate change. Other energy saving technologies include an onsite solar powered generator and solar panels - plus zero carbon site hoarding.
Cllr Zoe Nolan, Cabinet Member for Children and Families said: “The progress that’s been made at Glebe Farm is incredible. It was exciting to see how this school, which will be central to the community for years to come, is now taking shape. Glebe Farm All through School will provide continuous support for pupils as they progress through full-time education. This will create all sorts of opportunities for mentoring across years and removes the anxiety often associated with moving between schools. As Milton Keynes continues to expand, we will continue to invest in and prioritise our local network of high quality and ecologically sustainable schools.”
The new school is costing around £31m to build and will be funded from a combination of Basic Need Government funding, Section 106 grant funding and Council borrowing.
The local community will have access to sports facilities at the school, including indoor courts and outdoor pitches via a separate community entrance. A fitness suite and main central forum space for community events are also planned.
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