Work starts to expand St Mark's Primary School, Southampton

St Mark's Primary School will be expanded to create the city's first all-through school.

Located on Stafford Road in Shirley it will combine primary and secondary education on one site.

Full construction work started with staff from the school and civic chiefs from the city council taking up work to mark the occasion.

Staff aff from St Mark's Church of England Primary School were joined by representatives from Southampton City Council, the Diocese of Winchester, and contractors to officially mark the beginning of construction work on the new school that will create 900 much-needed new school places.

Construction on the £39.8m project will reportedly be done in line with coronavirus guidelines to keep "all workers safe".

The expanded school will provide spaces for a pre-school nursery, a two-form entry primary school and a six form entry secondary school.

In addition, natural and artificial grass sports pitches will form part of the expanded school, with plans to make these available for members of the public to hire outside school hours - creating a new clean, well-maintained space at the heart of the community that will help support active and healthy lifestyles for people of all ages.

Councillor Darren Paffey, pictured below, Cabinet Member for Children and Learning, said: “This is an ambitious and exciting project and a clear signal of our commitment to ensuring that children get the best possible start in life and benefit from best-in-class education facilities.

"I’m pleased that the next phase of work has begun and that we are moving closer to creating hundreds of much-needed school places for our young children.

“The project team and all partners involved with the project are committed to ensuring that works are carried out responsibly and safely.

"We’ll also continue to be mindful of the impact that works can have on the nearby community and keep local residents and businesses updated."

Stephanie Bryant, below headteacher, St Mark’s CofE Primary School, added: "We are really looking forward to being able to welcome children of all ages at St Mark’s, and it’s thrilling that after all the planning and deliberation, work is now getting underway in earnest.

"This is not just an important milestone for our school, but also for education in Southampton.

"Underpinned by Christian values, the expanded all-through school will be the first of its kind in the city, and it represents a hugely positive step for young people in Southampton.

"I am also pleased that the expansion will allow us to offer facilities for use by the local community.”