Woldgate School and Sixth Form, Pocklington, has celebrated its latest construction milestone with a steel signing ceremony, hosted by contractors Wates, the Department for Education, and Wonder Learning Partnership.
The ceremony provided the opportunity to share the success of the work completed so far and demonstrate how this rebuild project will not only create an exceptional learning facility for the young people of Pocklington and surrounding area but also how the local community is benefitting during and after its completion.
The event was attended by local stakeholders Sir David Davis, MP for Pocklington and Goole, local Mayor Roly Cronshaw, Councillor Victoria Aitken of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, as well as pupils and representatives from across the Department for Education, Wonder Learning Partnership and Wates.
The redevelopment of Woldgate School includes the demolition of existing buildings from the 50s and 60s, to create a new 8,830-sq m school and sixth form for 1450 pupils. The new scheme will consist of a new three-storey school building – with atrium, auditorium, library, classrooms and laboratories – sports block and MUGA pitch, new bus drop-off and layby, as well as carparking and various hard and soft landscaping.
Delivered via the DfE’s MMC Framework as part of the School Rebuilding programme, the project will deliver brand new state-of-the-art learning space for pupils and teachers. It has been carefully designed to be Net Zero Carbon in Operation (NZCiO), using materials with low embodied carbon, extensive use of solar PV and increasing biodiversity through careful landscaping to integrate with the surrounding countryside.
Elsewhere, sustainability is being prioritised through construction by utilising Wates’ offsite manufacturing facility Prism, modern methods of construction, and diverting hard-to-recycle waste from landfill.
The project is also driving investment into the community, where Wates is delivering a range of Social Value initiatives supporting employment, skills, sustainability and social enterprises. Already, targets have been beaten with 16 new jobs created for local people, and more than £431,000 spent with local small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Works began in March 2024 and are scheduled to complete by 2027. Works are being led by Wates in partnership with SES Engineering Services which is delivering mechanical, electrical and plumbing services (MEP).
