Latest Liverpool schools contracts awarded

Contracts worth £28m are set to be awarded to Morgan Sindall and Willmott Dixon as part of plans to rebuild three schools in Liverpool.

A report to the Cabinet on Friday 16 May is recommending that new buildings for Northway Primary School in Childwall and New Park Primary School in Kensington are constructed by Morgan Sindall at a cost of £5.5m per school, while Willmott Dixon is recommended to build the Archbishop Blanch Church of England High School for £17.5m.

The developments form part of the £169m Liverpool schools investment programme.

Both primary schools are deemed to be unsuited to modern teaching methods, with classrooms that are undersized and insufficient quality space for teaching. Northway is more than 80 years old with the highest backlog of repairs of all primary schools in Liverpool, while New Park does not have a grass playing field. Both schools will be rebuilt on the playgrounds of their existing sites.

Archbishop Blanch will move from its old building on Mount Vernon Road near the city centre to a new purpose-built site, designed by architect Sheppard Robson, on Earle Road, off Smithdown Road in Picton.

Mayor Joe Anderson said: "This is a much-needed investment in three schools which desperately need it and is part of my commitment to deliver at least 12 new schools for pupils in the city.

"The new buildings for will be a tremendous boost for thousands of present and future generations of school children and ensure they get the most out of their learning."

A target has been set for 80% of the sub contract spending on the two primary schools to go to Liverpool firms with 95% of the budget spent with firms across the city region. For Archbishop Blanch, it is hoped 60% will be spent in Liverpool and 70% in the wider area.

Work will start later this year on all three schools and they are expected to open in September 2015.