Willmott Dixon has signed a contract on the first of its three new academy schools in Oldham where it has been preferred bidder since March.

The company has agreed a £25.5 million contract with Oldham Council to deliver the new Oasis Academy Oldham. The iconic new building – which will be visible from Manchester City centre – will be built on the site of the former Brook Mill, with playing fields to be located on the old Oak Colliery site.

Although initially under review, plans for the new Oasis Academy building, which replaced the former South Chadderton and Kaskenmoor high schools, were confirmed by the Department for Education last month and preparatory work is now set to begin at the Brook Mill site in October.

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Willmott Dixon has teamed up with architect Aedas and the project will be finished in September 2012.

Councillor Jack Hulme, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said: "Alongside our sponsors we have worked extremely hard in recent months to keep our Academy plans firmly on track. Our young people deserve the very best start in life that we can offer to help maximise their potential."

Willmott Dixon was selected earlier this year to build three new Academies in the Borough. The other two are the new Waterhead Academy, sponsored by Oldham College, at Orb Mill to replace Counthill and Breeze Hill schools, and the Oldham Academy North, the E-ACT sponsored Academy on the current site of Our Lady’s, Royton replacing Grange School.

Willmott Dixon secured the work following a competitive process under the national academies framework. As part of its ‘local pound’ agenda, the company will invest 40 per cent of the Academies budget within Oldham providing local employment and training. This includes annual work experience placements and providing pupils with development opportunities in professions such as Graphic Design, Quantity Surveying and Structural and Civil Engineering.

(CD)