Kier has celebrated a ground breaking ceremony at Mayfield School, as it begins to develop new modern buildings and transform the school's offering.

Councillors from Portsmouth City Council, members of the Department of Education (DfE), staff and students, joined Kier to mark this important milestone.

The development is part of the DfE Priority Schools Building Programme and will feature a dedicated innovation laboratory – enabling pupils to problem solve and hatch new ideas in a purpose-built space. The STEAM centre will provide first-class facilities that support the school's focus on product design and innovation, as it prepares pupils for potential further education and careers in engineering and design.

The three-storey building, which is 9422m² in size, will cater for over 1,200 primary and secondary schoolchildren, with 74 classrooms, a spinning studio, modern arts facilities and a revamped pre-school nursery.

Elements of the school's heritage will be retained in the new development, including the portico entrance which will become a focal point for outside performances by the school. Existing war memorial plaques will be repositioned in to prime locations within the new building, alongside a timeline of the school's history as part of the walk way leading to the school's main entrance.

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The new school will be located on the eastern playing field of the current school site and is scheduled for completion in Summer 2021. Following the opening, the old school building will be demolished.

Throughout the duration of the project, Kier will engage with local residents and provide tours of the project for teaching staff and pupils. Kier will utilise its extensive local supply chain to deliver this new school and provide training and apprenticeship opportunities.

Trevor White, operations director at Kier Regional Building Southern, states: "Breaking ground marks an important milestone for Mayfield School and its transformation programme that will provide state-of-the-art facilities for its pupils.

"Working collaboratively with the Department for Education and Portsmouth City Council, we look forward to delivering this project for the school and wider local community."

Tim Sluman, DfE Project Director, added: "The DfE is delighted to be working closely with Kier, Portsmouth City Council and the School and Governing body, on this exciting new school building fully funded by the DfE's Priority School Building Programme. The new school building will provide the community of Mayfield School with a fit for purpose 'all through school', designed in close collaboration with the School/Governing body and Portsmouth City Council to deliver their exciting curriculum and specialisms for many years to come."

David Jeapes, headteacher at Mayfield School, adds: "Mayfield School is delighted to have been successful in its application for Priority School Building Funds. We have worked closely with the DFE and Kier to produce what we think will be an exceptional school building and place of learning. We are pleased that the facilities will continue to support our strong performing arts curriculum and also very proud to be hosting Portsmouth first and only STEAM centre with state-of-the-art innovation laboratories."

(MH/CM)