Construction
milestone celebrated with MP visit to Woldgate School
Woldgate School and Sixth Form, Pocklington, has celebrated its latest construction milestone with a steel signing ceremony, hosted by contractors Wates, the Department for Education, and Wonder Learning Partnership.
The ceremony provided the opportunity to share the success of the work completed so far and demonstrate how this rebuild project will not only create an exceptional learning facility for the young people of Pocklington and surrounding area but also how the local community is benefitting during and after its completion.
The event held on Friday 11th October was attended by local stakeholders Sir David Davis, MP for Pocklington and Goole, local Mayor Roly Cronshaw, Councillor Victoria Aitken of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, as well as pupils and representatives from across the Department for Education, Wonder Learning Partnership and Wates.
The redevelopment of Woldgate School includes the demolition of existing buildings from the 50s and 60s, to create a new 8,830-sq m school and sixth form for 1450 pupils. The new scheme will consist of a new three-storey school building – with atrium, auditorium, library, classrooms and laboratories – sports block and MUGA pitch, new bus drop-off and layby, as well as carparking and various hard and soft landscaping.
Delivered via the DfE’s MMC Framework as part of the School Rebuilding programme, the project will deliver brand new state-of-the-art learning space for pupils and teachers. It has been carefully designed to be Net Zero Carbon in Operation (NZCiO), using materials with low embodied carbon, extensive use of solar PV and increasing biodiversity through careful landscaping to integrate with the surrounding countryside.
Elsewhere, sustainability is being prioritised through construction by utilising Wates’ offsite manufacturing facility Prism, modern methods of construction, and diverting hard-to-recycle waste from landfill.
The project is also driving investment into the community, where Wates is delivering a range of Social Value initiatives supporting employment, skills, sustainability and social enterprises. Already, targets have been beaten with 16 new jobs created for local people, and more than £431,000 spent with local small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Works began in March 2024 and are scheduled to complete by 2027. Works are being led by Wates in partnership with SES Engineering Services which is delivering mechanical, electrical and plumbing services (MEP).
This steel signing has been a chance for us to celebrate our work so far here at Woldgate and the opportunities this new learning environment will bring students, as well as our partnerships with the DfE, school, supply chain and the local area.
This open and collaborative relationship with our partners has been vital to our success so far, particularly while delivering a carefully controlled plan of works in a live school environment. While we’ve also worked to establish what social investment best suits the local community’s needs, creating opportunities for young people to begin careers through T-Levels and apprenticeships
Stuart Leslie,
operations director at Wates
Working alongside Wates Group, DfE and partners on this project and seeing the project develop is incredible. There is a huge amount of history linked to Woldgate School within the community, but we know the development here is going to provide generations of learners to come with exceptional opportunities. This event is an important step in recognising the scale of the project as Wates Group work within a live school site. We are so pleased our pupils are part of the rebuild our journey too.”
Adele Pinder
Trust Director of Estates and Compliance for the
Wonder Learning Partnership
This is an exciting time for Woldgate School & Sixth Form College. The redevelopment of the school buildings will help ensure the delivery of the very best education to pupils at the school.
It was interesting to hear how these cutting-edge learning facilities will be used and I am glad to see that outside of school hours, the school intends to make the sports facilities available to local residents and clubs. This is a project that will benefit all of Pocklington and I look forward to seeing the redevelopment progress in the months and years ahead
Sir David Davis
MP for Pocklington & Goole
