A major programme of expansion and improvements to buildings and facilities at Abbeywood Community School is underway.
The £12 million project will deliver new classrooms and extend the dance studio and changing rooms over the next 18 months.
The work at the secondary school, in Stoke Gifford, South Gloucestershire, is being paid for using a combination of the council’s capital funding and S.106 contributions, from developers of new homes nearby.
Work began in July and will take place in phases to minimise disruption to learning for students and teachers.
The first phase includes:
• The installation of temporary classrooms
• Upgrades to the kitchen where school meals are prepared
• Re-modelling existing changing facilities
• An extension to the dance studio
• An extension to the staff car park
The second phase is centred on the construction of a new ten-classroom block of modern classrooms that will be used for a variety of subjects. Work is expected to be complete in early 2026. These new classrooms will provide additional teaching spaces for the increasing student population.
South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for schools, Cllr Ian Boulton, said: “I am delighted that work is underway to make these important improvements to Abbeywood Community School. Once completed, each element will improve learning life for both pupils and staff.
“As a council we recognise that the fabric of our schools is vital to allow teachers to teach and for students to learn. New, modern classrooms will certainly help that, but I am also particularly pleased to see the attention in this project to the creative arts, with the extension of the dance studio.
“This investment, of around £12 million, is one in the long-term future of the school, the staff and the students who will pass through these halls for years to come.”
Dave Baker, Chief Executive Officer of The Olympus Academy Trust, which is responsible for Abbeywood Community School, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with South Gloucestershire Council to provide more places at Abbeywood Community School for local residents. The additional accommodation is long awaited and much needed. It will be transformational once completed.”
