Morgan Sindall Construction has celebrated a key milestone at Abbeywood Community School with a steel signing ceremony marking the final structural installation of the school's new extension – completed ahead of schedule.

Held on 27 June, the event brought together representatives from South Gloucestershire Council, the Olympus Academy Trust, school staff, pupils, and project partners, who all gathered to ceremonially sign the steel frame of the new building. Though eventually concealed, the signatures will remain as a permanent mark of collaboration and progress on the project.

The £11.6 million expansion, procured through the SCAPE Construction framework, is being delivered in two phases and will increase the school's capacity to 1,500 pupils. The first phase was completed in March and included upgrades to the school kitchen, an extended dance studio, and refurbished changing rooms.

The recently commemorated second phase involves the construction of a new standalone building. This facility will include 10 additional classrooms, an office, staff workroom, toilets, accessible facilities, and a lift to support pupils with special educational needs.

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To accommodate current demand during construction, a temporary four-classroom block has been installed, supporting the school’s growing popularity in the local community.

Sustainability plays a central role in the project. In line with South Gloucestershire Council's environmental commitments, Morgan Sindall is integrating photovoltaic panels, air source heat pumps, and EV charging points into the design. The school car park is also being expanded by ten spaces.

Morgan Sindall has also exceeded its carbon reduction target as part of its 10 Tonne Challenge, saving 125 tonnes of CO₂e so far—equivalent to the annual energy use of 46 UK homes—largely through the use of electric arc furnace steel. These savings were calculated using the company’s in-house CarboniCa tool.

In a construction industry first, the team is piloting a zero-waste plasterboard initiative with British Gypsum. As part of the trial, all plasterboard is being pre-cut offsite, weighed, and monitored to reduce waste and increase installation efficiency.

Working on a live school site, the project team has coordinated closely with Abbeywood Community School to ensure minimal disruption to learning. The site recently earned a top Considerate Constructors Scheme score of 45/45 in recognition of its sensitive and respectful delivery.

The scheme is being delivered in collaboration with NVB Architects and other consultants, using the Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) digital platform to enhance planning accuracy, coordinate design, and identify any clashes before work begins.