Poole school revamp work set to start

The multi-million pound refurbishment of a Dorset school is to get under way after contracts were signed with a construction firm.

Ashdown Technology College in Poole is one of 33 schools in the country to receive government funding as part of a sample project.

Preparatory work on the £13.5m two-year scheme is to begin during the current summer break.

A new two-storey building is expected to be complete by summer 2012.

Improvements to the current building are expected to be ready in 2013.

The work will be carried out by Balfour Beatty.

Once complete, the school, which currently has 740 students aged 12 to 16, will be able to accommodate 900 pupils.

The building project will create six full-time apprenticeships as well as work experience placements.

In July 2010, more than 730 school rebuilds were axed when the Building Schools for the Future scheme was scrapped as part of government cost-cutting measures.