Lambeth Council celebrates major milestone in the rebuilding of Stockwell Park High School

Lambeth Council has celebrated a major milestone in the construction of the first phase of the new Stockwell Park High School building, delivered under the national Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

Live jazz music melted into the evening sky as scores of local dignitaries, members of the community, and councillors, marked the opening of the first half of the new main school building on Friday, May 1. The £28million construction is the first BSF project to ever receive an ‘excellent’ rating from the Commission for Architecture and the Build Environment (CABE) for its innovative ‘ribbon’ design which delicately weaves around the school grounds in Clapham Road.

Stockwell Park High School was recently rated as an ‘outstanding’ school by Ofsted and is also a specialist Business and Enterprise College and Training School. The new building constructed by Willmott Dixon and designed by architects, Sheppard Robson, contains excellent facilities for the art and technology departments, specialist provision for business and enterprise, science classrooms, ICT suites, general teaching areas as well as facilities for the school such as kitchens and administration.

It is the first of three phases to be constructed since building work began in January, last year. Phase two will include the completion of the second half of the new school building which will include: a drama studio, main hall, music rooms and editing suite, additional space for extended assemblies or dining space, science labs, general teaching rooms, open teaching spaces and staff rooms, plus a new sports building. Phase three will see the demolition of the existing tower block and gyms prior to the construction of a new seven-a-side multi-games area. Completion of the entire project is scheduled for the end of 2010.

Headteacher Judette Tapper said: "This has been a wonderful journey and the new building is a central part of our school's vision. It provides us with an opportunity for continuing to develop outstanding learning for the children at Stockwell Park High School."

Phyllis Dunipace, Executive Director Children and Young People Services, said: “This is a truly innovative 21st Century school and a wonderful addition to the BSF portfolio of projects constructed in Lambeth. The existing school building is over 50 years old so I’m absolutely thrilled that they will soon be enjoying such an exceptional new learning environment.”

Mark Tant, Managing Director for Willmott Dixon in South London, added: “We are delighted to have completed the first stage in our project to create a superb new learning environment for Stockwell High Park School. We are very pleased with progress so far and the team’s focus is now on completing the rest of the project to give the community a fantastic new school building.”

As part of the extended schools policy of opening up facilities to the wider community, the new sports hall and the multi-use games area will be available to residents outside of school hours as widely as possible. The school will also provide 1,200 secondary school places up to GCSE level, with a 100-place sixth form and a 15-place Special Educational Needs (SEN) unit. Other features will include several beautifully landscaped gardens for older students and a sensory area for children with special educational needs.