Wandsworth Council has reached financial close on a deal worth over £70m with Lend Lease to rebuild Southfields Community College (pictured) and Burntwood Secondary School.
 
With the paperwork now complete the Government has confirmed the BSF (Building Schools for the Future) funding is in place and work on both schools is now expected to start in early April.
 
As well as the main building work the scheme also includes improvements to the schools' ICT infrastructure to enable new ways of using technology across the curriculum. Both schools will receive a full ICT managed service from Lend Lease's ICT partner Civica.
 
Detailed planning applications for the two schemes were approved in December last year. The designs have been developed by the council and Lend Lease following lengthy consultations with the schools, parents and local people.
 
The Government funded schemes aim to vastly improve the outdated teaching facilities and will increase capacity at both sites to help meet rising demand for secondary school places in Wandsworth.
 
Both projects are scheduled for completion by early 2014.
 
Wandsworth Council's education spokesman Kathy Tracey said:
 
"The arduous planning and procurement phase is now over and we can finally get to work improving these schools. My congratulations to Lend Lease and the council's delivery team for getting through the process ahead of schedule and for putting together these first rate proposals.
 
"Each school will be transformed beyond recognition and fitted with state of the art teaching facilities. Thousands of local young people will benefit from the improvements in the years to come and the added capacity will help us to keep pace with rising demand for school places.”
 
Under the plans all of Burntwood's existing buildings are to be demolished with the exception of the assembly hall, gymnasium and swimming pool which will be refurbished and upgraded.
 
Six new buildings will be constructed across the school grounds ranging from two to four storeys in height.  These will include a new performing arts facility, a new 4-court sport hall and a business skills centre which will be open to the wider community as well as Burntwood pupils.
 
The scheme will increase the school's capacity by more than 250 students.
 
The Southfields project involves refurbishing and extending the existing blocks fronting Merton Road and along the site's southern boundary. A new four-storey building is to be constructed at the Burr Road entrance to create a more attractive gateway to the college grounds and will include terraces on the upper floors which can be used as outdoor classrooms and recreation areas.
 
A new three-storey building will also be provided in the south west corner of the site which would provide the main entrance to the Aspire Centre. The project would increase capacity at the college by approximately 200 students.
 
To view the plans online visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/planning. The Southfields application number is 2010/3888 and Burntwood's is 2010/3887.

For more information on the projects call the council's delivery team on (020) 8871 8843.
 
March 21st, 2011