Works on a new Warwickshire school have reached a key milestone, marked by a topping out ceremony.

The event at Oakley school was attended by representatives from Warwickshire County Council, Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust, Mace, Corstorphine + Wright, and contractor Willmott Dixon, who is currently delivering the project.

Warwickshire County Council's £61m project includes a 34-place nursery, 420-place primary and 900-place secondary school with SEND provision.

The project is set to complete in summer 2024, with the aim of being ready to welcome new students for the start of the 2024/25 academic year.

The project aims to meet the increasing demand for school places within the region, with a number of new housing developments being added to the area. The school will also include facilities that will aim to benefit the wider community, such as a sports hall and multi-use sports pitches.

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Commenting on the project, Cllr Kam Kaur, portfolio holder for education at Warwickshire County Council, said: "The Oakley School is the council's largest ever financial commitment to a school. It is an amazing response to the educational needs that the area will soon be seeing, providing outstanding opportunities for learning for so many children and young people as well as being a really positive focal point for all of the community.

"It's so exciting to see the stages of progress as we near completion and I hope that the local community will share our anticipation."

Reflecting on their involvement, Michelle Cotterill, director, at Willmott Dixon, said: "It was brilliant to have the key project stakeholders mark the latest milestone in this important project for Warwickshire. Having Cllr Peter Butlin, portfolio holder for finance and property at Warwickshire County Council, fasten a special gold final bolt in the secondary school building's structure added a sense of history to the process and created a memorable moment.

"Oakley School is a major investment into the next generation of Warwickshire’s education offering and we are making sure that the legacy of our involvement goes beyond just construction. Therefore, we are investing £1.5m through social value activities and focusing on student engagement. This includes delivering careers talks, work experience, traineeships for those not in employment, education or training, and creating local job opportunities."