The ground works have been prepared and Poole’s new junior school, Ocean Academy Poole, will begin to take shape this week as 45 bespoke modular units are delivered to the Constitution Hill Road site.
The modules were constructed by McAvoy Group in their Northern Ireland factory, before being shipped to Poole.
Modular construction was successfully used at Heatherlands Primary School in 2013 and provides a good solution for Poole’s new school which is also being built to a tight schedule and is located in a residential area.
Noel Molloy, Construction Director at McAvoy Group explained: “Off-site building reduces disruption to neighbouring homes and is much faster than conventional construction. This project is a mix of modular and conventional steel frame construction but with the entire teaching block consisting of modular construction, 60% of the building will be weather tight within two weeks. The speed at which this part of the building is constructed means it will be ready for fit-out with immediate effect, minimising disruption during the on-site build period.”
Cllr Janet Walton, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People, Borough of Poole, said: “It is exciting to see the school taking shape over just a matter of days and I look forward to seeing it develop rapidly over the coming months.”
With a total capacity of 360 pupils aged 7 to 11 (Years 3 to 6), the new school will help meet the growing need for Key Stage 2 places in the central Poole area, as increased numbers of children currently in Key Stage 1 move through the education system.
The school will open in September 2015; initially to Year 3 pupils only, then growing by one year group each year until 2018.
Ocean Academy Poole, will be sponsored by Aspirations Academies Trust (AAT).
