Willmott Dixon has celebrated a significant milestone in the redevelopment of Durham Academy with a steel signing ceremony, bringing together pupils, education leaders, and project partners to mark progress on the £20.7 million school redevelopment.

The project is being delivered on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE) as part of its School Rebuilding Programme.

During the ceremony, attendees signed the final steel beams before they were installed as part of the new three-storey secondary school, which will accommodate 500 pupils when the new teaching block opens in November 2026. The event highlighted the transition from groundworks to the erection of the steel frame, with final demolition, landscaping, and remodelling works scheduled for completion by August 2027.

Durham Academy's Headteacher Alison Jobling, a group of pupils, and DfE Project Director Anthony Potts were among those in attendance.

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The new school, designed by Space Group Architects, is being constructed on a brownfield site at the southern end of the existing Durham Academy campus in Ushaw Moor. The redevelopment will provide 3,538 square metres of modern educational space, including general and specialist teaching areas, while the existing sports hall and dining facilities will be refurbished and remodelled as part of the works.

Nick Corrigan, Willmott Dixon's Director in the North East, said: "This steel signing marks an important milestone in the construction of Durham Academy. It was fitting to have pupils here alongside education leaders and our project partners to sign the steelwork that will form the structure of their new school.

"The new facility will provide a modern, sustainable learning environment designed to serve the community for generations to come. We are committed to creating opportunities for local people throughout the construction phase, working with New College Durham on T-level placements and delivering our Building Lives Academy programme to support pupils facing barriers to education."

The new steel-framed building is being designed to achieve net-zero carbon in operation, incorporating sustainable design features throughout. The existing school will remain operational during construction, with demolition of the old teaching blocks, excluding the sports block and creative hub, taking place after the new building opens to ensure continuity of education for current pupils.