Kier constructs school in East Sussex

Kier employees and East Sussex County Councillors recently celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Uplands Community College site in Wadhurst.

Construction began on the new development in August and is predicted to continue until September 2020, in time for the 2020/21 academic year, accommodating a total of 950 students within 3,843sq m of teaching space.

The new college will feature a variety of teaching and learning spaces ranging from the traditional design to specialist learning areas for arts and technology subjects.

The Managing Director for Kier Regional Building Southern, Jonathan Payne stated: “Working collaboratively with the Department for Education, East Sussex County Council and the school, we are proud to mark the start of work on this state-of-the-art facility that has been designed to provide an environment that will allow pupils to build their futures whilst reminding them of the past. We look forward to providing the local community with a first-class facility that will benefit generations to come.”

Following the construction of the main college building, Kier will set about the demolition of the old school building, which was first built in the 1950s, and its subsequent replacement with a multi-use games area, complete with two basketball courts and a five-a-side football pitch.

The Principal of Uplands Community College, Mrs Mountford added: “We are very excited by the prospect of the new building.  Our current buildings, which date from the 1950s, are not suitable for a modern secondary school and our students will greatly benefit from the new facilities.

“Our drama provision will be improved, as will computing, design and technology and maths.  The students have been speechless as they have looked at the plans and realised what an amazing new building and multi-games area we will have.”

At the ceremony Councillor Bob Standley, the Lead Member for Education and Inclusion under Special Educational Needs and Disability at East Sussex County Council, dug the first hole.

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