£61m Leamington Spa school construction site to host community for educational visit

Ahead of officially opening next year, Willmott Dixon will be welcoming schools, colleges and education institutions to the Oakley School construction site in Leamington Spa, as part of Open Doors week from 18 – 23 March 2024.

Being built by national contractor Willmott Dixon, the £61m school is part of Warwickshire County Council’s plans to make major additions to the community’s education provision. The school will be an all-through facility comprising a 34-place nursery, 420-place primary school and 900-place secondary school with SEND provision.

With the construction programme well underway, visitors can expect to see fit-out and finishing works including plastering, partitioning, decorating, final fix MEP, joinery and fixed furniture. Externally there will be landscape preparation and hard landscaping coming together.

Michelle Cotterill, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “Set to house three stages of education, Oakley School is soon going to be a central element in the lives of many in Leamington Spa. We’re very pleased that the live construction site is included in our Open Doors rota this year and we will be able to offer a glimpse into our world, – which will educate visitors and hopefully inspire some too.

“Oakley School adopts a fabric-first approach to reduce energy consumption and limit carbon emissions in operation, so it sets an excellent example of modern construction capability and sustainability. We hope the local community will be very proud of this addition to their building stock and engage with the construction process before officially opening its doors.”

Oakley School is one of several Willmott Dixon sites that will be involved in the national initiative led by Build UK, an annual event that aims to showcase the exciting world of construction and the many opportunities within it for people to enjoy a rewarding career. It allows thousands of people to go behind the barriers and learn how the building project in their community is being constructed, as well as meet those responsible for it.

Michelle continued: “We’re constantly rolling out our own initiatives to showcase the amazing careers that construction can offer, with Open Doors being an established national occasion to also do this. We’ve supported it for many years now with sites across the country, and this year is no different. It’s an opportunity not to be missed.”

The Oakley School construction site opened for bookings on Monday 8 January on the Open Doors website, with spaces limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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