Leading construction company in the south West, Willmott Dixon, has officially started work on the £7.6 million construction and refurbishment of Exeter’s new Steiner Academy.
The project, on Cowley Bridge Road, will see Willmott Dixon construct a 4707 sq m two-storey building and fully refurbish Thomas Hall, the grade II listed building on-site.
In addition to the new building and refurbishments, the project will also include the construction of a separate hall and kitchen, six kindergarten classrooms, new car parks and landscaping of the grounds.
Steiner Academy Exeter will be able to accommodate 624 full time students aged between four and16 years old,
Neal Stephens, managing director at Willmott Dixon south West, said: “This project is really exciting for us. It combines the heritage of the beautiful Thomas Hall built in the 1630s, with the modern vision of the new state-of-the-art school building.
“We’ve worked on a variety of projects in the education sector, but none quite like this, working to the bespoke needs of a Steiner school. The site covers almost 13 acres of existing ground with more than 200 trees and lots of wildlife, including birds, deer and badgers. The complexities of working on a live environment will be a main focus for us with close liaison with the whole project team.
“After 11 months of pre-construction, we’re eager to make a start and we look forward to working with the school and community to provide fantastic learning facilities for the students in Exeter.”
Alan Swindell, Principal of the Steiner Academy Exeter, said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to breathe new life into this beautiful building and site. It will be a wonderful environment for children, with tremendous scope for us to develop those aspects of our curriculum that really come alive in the great outdoors.
“An effective education needs children to be active, and an inspiring site like this invites active learning and imaginative teaching.”
The project is funded by the Educating Funding Agency and procured through the LHC framework.
Steiner Academy Exeter is due to open in the September 2015, ready for the new academic year.
