Southampton seals second Academy deal

4 March 2011

Southampton’s second Academy deal - worth £16.3m - has been signed with construction partner Carillion. Work is now underway at the site of the new Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill.

The new Academy building will be located next to The Cedar School on the Lordshill Recreation Ground. The school is currently located on split sites in Fairisle Road and Green Lane following a reorganisation of education in the Southampton. The new Academy will open in September 2012.

The city’s Academies programme, which began just one year ago, also includes Oasis Academy Mayfield, worth £15m, in Sholing. Building work began there in October and is also due for completion in September 2012.

Councillor Paul Holmes, Southampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Learning, said: “Signing the deal with Carillion is the final hurdle before the new Academy can start to take shape. The fact that this has been achieved in such a short space of time is testament to the excellent relationships that have been built between Oasis Community Learning, Carillion and the council. We all have the best interests of this city’s children in mind and have used our expertise to plan a great future for them.”

Principal of Oasis Academy Lord's Hill, Ian Golding said "With our standards improving and set to continue to rise again this year, the new building will give our students even greater reason to continue to set their sights even higher. It will be a fantastic new facility for staff, students and the wider community. We recognise that we are very fortunate, especially against the backdrop of recent cuts, however our students and local community do deserve it, and we look forward with them to its completion in 2012."

Rob Holt, Carillion Managing Director for Education, said: "We are delighted to be working with Southampton City Council to deliver the new Oasis Academy Lord's Hill, which will provide superb education facilities for the local community for years to come. What is particularly pleasing is the opportunity to contribute to Southampton City Council's local training and apprenticeship agenda."

The new Oasis Academy Lord’s Hill will boast a large, central learning space that can be adapted for a multitude of uses, including group work, exhibitions and community use. There will also be a state-of-the-art theatre space that can be adapted to suit a variety of performances. The building is not only iconic, it has also been designed with the environment in mind, including solar panels and natural ventilation, which will help to reduce the carbon footprint of the school by in excess of 60 percent over the course of its lifetime.

As part of the Academies programme, Carillion has committed to create 12 new apprenticeships, 20 weeks of work experience for 16-year-olds and 20 weeks of work placement opportunities for adults and young people. In addition, they will also provide 150 donated hours to support the Academies’ curriculum and commission 60 percent of their subcontractors from within 40 miles of Southampton.

For more information:

Contact: Southampton City Council Communications Team
Telephone: 023 8083 2000
Email:communications@southampton.gov.uk

Website informaton: http://www.southampton.gov.uk/learning/bsf/ourprojects/academy.aspx