Ahead of officially opening next year, Willmott Dixon will be welcoming schools, colleges, and education institutions to the £61m Oakley School construction site in Leamington Spa, as part of Open Doors Week from 18-23 March 2024.

The new school is part of Warwickshire County Council’s plans to make major additions to the community’s education provision.

It will be an all-through facility comprising a 34-place nursery, 420-place primary school, and 900-place secondary school with SEND provision.

With the construction programme well underway, visitors can expect to see fit-out and finishing works including plastering, partitioning, decorating, final-fix MEP, joinery, and fixed furniture.

Externally, there will be landscape preparation and hard landscaping coming together.

Michelle Cotterill, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “Set to house three stages of education, Oakley School is soon going to be a central element in the lives of many in Leamington Spa.

“We are very pleased that the live construction site is included in our Open Doors rota this year and we will be able to offer a glimpse into our world, – which will educate visitors and hopefully inspire some, too.”

She added: “Oakley School adopts a fabric-first approach to reduce energy consumption and limit carbon emissions in operation.

“The building will also feature air source heat pumps and PV panels as part of a renewable energy strategy, so it sets an excellent example of modern construction capability and sustainability.”

An artist’s impression of the new school, which will open next year

The school also includes facilities that will benefit the wider community, including a stand-alone sports hall, several natural turf pitches, and an all-weather pitch, both of which are for educational and community use.

All playing surfaces will also be delivered to Sport England design standards.

Councillor Kam Kaur, Warwickshire’s portfolio holder for education, said: “As well as providing a state-of-the-art facility that will be the hub of superb learning opportunities, the project is also delivering a great deal of social value, particularly for some young people who are gaining valuable training, employment opportunities, and other work experience.

“Similarly, we are very pleased that the building of the school has included environmental factors and the school will be a low-carbon setting which is in line with the council’s own commitment to reducing carbon emissions.”

The project was procured through the Scape framework.