Work is under way on £4.5m Walsall school upgrade

Midlands property and construction consultancy Wakemans is on site overseeing the latest stage of work to upgrade facilities at the school, in Walstead Road West, which has around 1,300 pupils.

Wakemans previously delivered the first phase of work on the school’s ambitious improvement programme and is acting as quantity surveyor on behalf of architect Seymour Harris.

Following an award of close to £4 million from the Education Funding Agency, existing school buildings fronting Walstead Road are being demolished and will be replaced with a two-storey structure featuring modern, energy-efficient heating, lighting and ventilation systems.

The new accommodation will provide teaching rooms for modern languages, music, business studies, health, social and child care and learning support/special educational needs. The Sixth Form study facilities will also be improved, along with the school’s Information and Communications Technology (ITC) capabilities, and a learning resource centre will be created.

As well as the 14 classrooms, the second phase of development works involves construction of administrative offices and a new entrance/foyer and reception areas, while extensive landscaping is set to provide social areas with seating, multi-use game areas and a running track.

Gerard Belfield, senior quantity surveyor at Wakemans, said: “This latest investment will make a huge difference, enabling the school to offer its students modern, fit-for-purpose facilities for many years to come.

“The Joseph Leckie Academy continues to evolve and further construction works are planned to enrich the learning environment for students and teachers alike.”

Phase 2 of the works started on site in January and is scheduled for completion in March next year. Phase 1 involved the construction of a new £3.3 million teaching block, the Keith Whittlestone Building, which provides accommodation over three floors and has been in use since September 2016.