A high school in Chorlton has had a major refurbishment bringing it up to the same standard as a new-build school - with a saving of over £1 million.

Loreto High School has had an £12 million revamp which has transformed the external and internal appearance of the school.

The Building Schools for the Future (BSF) project saved £1.2 million by 'recycling' the concrete frame on the original three-storey teaching building - by stripping back the frame, treating the concrete, and then shrouding it in a new protective cladding.

The use of the new cladding, combined with the quality of the concrete will improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

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The saved money was then invested in additional work on the school courtyard and in landscaping.

Councillor Afzal Khan, Executive Member for Children's Services at Manchester City Council, said: "This project is a prime example of how more can be achieved for less. Because of the expertise involved in Manchester's BSF and Academies programme, contractors were able to work around and remodel the school's existing features, while bringing in key elements of a new-build."

The project at the Catholic school, which has 650 students aged 11 to 16 and a convent, also included a three-floor extension to the main entrance to provide a new library, which can also be used as a community facility. Internally, the buildings were reconfigured using new partitions and new heating systems and lighting have been installed.

The whole project was delivered in phases, with the majority of the teaching block completed in February 2011 and the rest of the work completed by October last year.

(CD/GK)