£100m schools plans to be unveiled

11/12/2007

Multimillion-pund plans for six new Sunderland schools were due to be unveiled today.

The initial designs for the 21st-century £100million schools were expected to go on display at the National Glass Centre.

Following consultations, the pioneering proposals are finally ready for public viewing.

The new schools will incorporate features most important to pupils, staff and governors including wind turbines, grassed roofing and flexible learning areas.

They form part of Sunderland's £120million Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, which will see Pennywell Secondary School and Quarry View Primary School close in August 2008 to make way for an all-age academy on the Pennywell site.

The new academy is sponsored by gentoo Group and co-sponsored by Sunderland City Council.

Castle View Secondary School and Hylton Red House School willclose one year later, in August 2009, to re-open as two separate academies in September 2009.

These academies are sponsored by Northumbrian Water and Leighton Group respectively, while Sunderland City Council co-sponsors both.

Meanwhile, Washington School will be completely rebuilt, Biddick School Sports College and St Robert of Newminster RC School will be refurbished and Sandhill View School will benefit from an ICT update.

Sunderland City Council Leader Coun Bob Symonds and gentoo Group managing director Peter Walls were due to attend the ceremony, along with representatives from the preferred bidder, Balfour Beatty, who talked about each design.

Governors, pupils and staff from each of the schools were also invited to see the designs.

Also due at the presentation was the Leighton Group Chairman, Paul Callaghan, and Northumbrian Water Chief Executive John Cuthbert.

The full article contains 273 words and appears in Sunderland Echo newspaper. Last Updated: 11 December 2007 9:42 AM

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