Construction company Morgan Ashurst, which has a local office in Highfield Street, Liverpool, was awarded the £18 million contract by Liverpool City Council to build a new teaching and activities block for Alsop High School in Queen's Drive.
The new facility, designed by 2020 Liverpool, will accommodate a dance studio, areas for dining and socialising, classrooms with retractable walls and bright, open atrium areas. Morgan Ashurst will also refurbish an existing building, which dates back to 1926, to improve teaching facilities for maths and science.
At the peak of the project, around 150 people - including staff from 30 subcontracted companies - are expected to be working on site. Morgan Ashurst has a policy of recruiting staff from the local area whenever possible.
Almost 150 students from Alsop High School formed the words Alsop No 1 on their playground to mark progress, as Morgan Ashurst nears completion of the steel frame. In the next stage, the company will put on the roof, start brickwork, install windows and pour the concrete slabs for the first and second floors.
"The children, teachers and construction team from Morgan Ashurst are all really excited about being Number 1 in the biggest upgrade of schools in Liverpool's history," says Colin Fearns, Morgan Ashurst business development director in the North West.
"Morgan Ashurst is extremely proud to be appointed by Liverpool City Council to build the first school in their Building Schools for the Future programme. While we have extensive experience in education building, we have rarely experienced the level of help and support provided by staff, pupils and the community around Alsop High School.
"Logistically, this is a challenging construction project because we are working on a land-locked site in the centre of a live school environment. By working closely with all our subcontractors, we have tackled these challenges and we are making great progress. We hope students and teachers are enjoying watching their new school take shape."
Councillor Marilyn Fielding, Liverpool City Council's executive member for Safer, Stronger Communities, said: "As Chair of Governors at Alsop School, I'm absolutely thrilled that work on this exciting scheme is now up-and-running. It will transform education at the school for generations to come.
"Alsop is Liverpool's biggest school, and it's vital that it provides 21st century learning facilities. So I'm delighted that it is the first of our Building Schools for the Future projects to get underway. It's great news for the whole community."
Alsop High School is due to be completed in January 2011.
