A golden moment for Academy's progress

Galliford Try’s team at the Oasis Academy Leesbrook site in Oldham were joined by representatives from Oasis Community Learning including students, to celebrate a ‘topping out’ ceremony.

Galliford Try’s team invited the student and Academy Principal Sarah Livesey to do the honours, and tighten a specially commissioned golden bolt, putting the final touches to the steel frame for the new school which has been erected in just 10 weeks.

The new building, which is expected to be completed in September 2020, will house up to 1,500 pupils for the secondary school, replacing the students’ temporary home on Middleton Road. Alongside the school buildings, a new multi-use games area will be created, as well as new grass sports pitches.

Darren Parker, Managing Director for Galliford Try North West, commented: “We are delighted with the excellent progress we’ve made so far at Leesbrook, and it was great to be able to share that with the wider team. We look forward to pushing on with the job and providing the students at the Academy with a new school to be proud of.”

Helen Arya, Regional Director at Oasis Community Learning, said: “Oasis Academy Leesbrook is a fantastic, all-inclusive secondary school for Oldham, and this bespoke new school building is an investment not only in our current students but future generations of local young people. We are grateful to Galliford Try for involving us and the children throughout the construction process.”

Sarah Livesey, Principal of Oasis Academy Leesbrook, added: “It is great to see the Academy’s permanent home take shape today with some of the students who will soon be proud to call it their school. We are thankful to all those who are working so hard on this project, and the anticipation is building within the school community for it to be complete!”