Wiltshire Council pledges multi-million investment for Amesbury school

An ambitious project to create new teaching and sports facilities at a Wiltshire school has been given the green light after Wiltshire Council agreed to invest £3m into the scheme.

The major build at The Stonehenge School in Amesbury will create a main assembly and exam hall, activity studio, drama classroom, two music classrooms as well as several music practice rooms, special educational needs (SEN) teaching and group rooms, changing rooms and toilets. The existing lower school block, which is in poor condition and beyond economical repair, will then be demolished. The vacant space will then become additional outdoor sports provision.

The project is in its second phase. Planning permission was secured in 2017 to replace the lower school block with two new blocks; the first was completed and occupied in 2019.

The total cost of new block and demolition of old one is £4.545m, of which £1.545m comes from a Department for Education (DfE) grant and £3m is council capital funding. Council leaders agreed the £3m investment at Full Council this week.

The new build will ensure the 920 pupil school will have a fit for purpose block accessible to all. Work on the block could start early next year with completion by the summer of 2023.

Head Teacher Nigel Roper said : "This is excellent news for the Amesbury community.  The new build will complement our recent extension beautifully and create a highly cohesive school campus.  The lower school block is in urgent need of replacement and once removed it will open up a large area for playing fields and sports facilities.  The timing is perfect as the school will grow in size to more than 1,000 pupils in the next two years."    

Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Skills said: "We agreed to this important investment as we want our pupils to learn and play in an exciting, stimulating school environment that complements great teaching and helps them to achieve their potential. I am so pleased the school can move forward with this important scheme for students."