Contractor Henry Brothers has broken ground and started work to build a new £4m extension at Glossopdale School, funded by Derbyshire County Council.
The new block will provide an additional nine teaching spaces comprising eight standard classrooms and a demonstration science lab. It will also provide flexible options for dining and social spaces and extra staff workrooms. Once finished, there will be room for a further 200 students aged 11 to 16, and 40 additional sixth form places.
Construction Director of Henry Brothers Midlands, Justin Hicklin, said: “We are excited to have started work on this site to build an extension for Glossopdale School. Henry Brothers built the main school complex, which has proved popular with students, and we are delighted to have strengthened our relationship with the school by being appointed to create this new block as well.
“Henry Brothers has partnered with Derbyshire County Council and a number of Derbyshire schools on a variety of projects in recent years, helping them to enhance their facilities, and we are looking forward to building this extension at Glossopdale School to create extra spaces for pupils.”
A small ground-breaking ceremony was held to mark the start on site by Nottingham-based Henry Brothers Midlands.
Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Alex Dale said: “It’s great news that work has started. We’ve worked hard to provide the extra places needed and this is a major step forward towards the much-needed expansion of this school.”
Headteacher, Debbie McGloin commented: “We are really pleased to see this extension move forward and are excited to be able to offer more places for the children in our community.”
It is expected that the new block will be completed in spring 2022, allowing more children to attend from September 2022.
Other members of the team involved in building the extension at the school in Hadfield are employers agent Concertus, DLA Architecture, civil and structural engineer Curtins and Couch Perry Wilkes for M & E services.
Associate director at Concertus Andy Bates said: “We are thrilled to be working for Derbyshire County Council and Henry Brothers to deliver the expansion of Glossopdale Community College. We have extensive experience in providing high-quality educational facilities across the region and are excited to be able to celebrate the early stages of this new facility.”
As well as having built the main Glossopdale School facility, which opened in 2018, Henry Brothers is currently building the new £13.2m Alfreton Park Community Special School, having previously delivered a hydrotherapy pool for the school. The company also completed phase 1 and phase 2 of the Aldercar High School project for Derbyshire County Council, totalling £8.7m in value.
Based at Beeston near Nottingham, Henry Brothers Midlands is part of The Henry Group, which comprises a number of manufacturing and construction sector companies, ranging from external construction through to interiors fit-out.
Pictured above from left to right are Andy Bates, Associate Director from Concertus, Cllr Jean Warmby, Chair of Derbyshire County Council, Justin Hicklin, Construction Director of Henry Brothers Midlands, Cllr Alex Dale, Cabinet Member for Education at Derbyshire County Council, Jessica Whetton, QS from Concertus, Debbie McGloin, Head of Glossopdale School, Robert Largan, MP for High Peak.
