Costain has reached another significant milestone in its school building programme in Lewisham, with the topping out ceremony at Sydenham School.

The girls' secondary school is Costain's final build in the south London borough's 10-year Building Schools for the Future programme.

Local VIPs including the Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock, and Lewisham West MP Jim Dowd, students, staff and the Costain team were in attendance as the final concrete slab was placed on the top of the school's new Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) block.

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The £24.5m redevelopment of the school will provide new facilities that also include a sports hall and drama studios, a kitchen and dining hall. The existing Edwardian building will be refurbished; it will become the main school entrance and house a new library and a central administration area.

Phase 1 of the project – construction of the new arts and STEM blocks – is on target for the completion handover date in March 2015. Phase 2 – the refurbishment of the existing building – will then begin. The third and final phase of the project involves the demolition of redundant buildings as well as landscaping and is expected to be complete by the end of 2016.

Ian Dixon, Commercial Manager, said: "We're working alongside the existing school on an extremely tight site but thanks to close liaison between the school and Costain team – in particular Eddie McKenna, Senior Project Manager and Aubrey Davies, Senior Construction Manager – the work is going well.

"Staff and students are very excited about their new school, and we've taken their views on board when, for example, finishing room layouts."

(CD/JP)