Work pressing ahead on £6.7million new school in Hetton - this is what to expect when it's finished
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Hetton Primary is a complete new-build at Moorsley Road.
It is part of Sunderland City Council’s £45million programme of school updates that's delivering life-changing facilities for young people.Ground works started in August 2021 and following foundation works its steel frame of girders is now going up. The new school is being built on the same site as the existing school, which will be levelled and replaced with car parking and landscaping.The new school is due to open for the next academic year in September 2022. It includes energy-saving features as part of the City Council’s moves toward helping Sunderland becoming carbon neutral.Included in the council's school investments programme are a new £5.3million Willow Wood Primary in Witherwack that opened in September, work is underway on the new £13million Sunningdale School, and major updates at both Barnes and Fulwell junior schools are in the works.The new Hetton Primary school has bigger class rooms, early years provision for two to five-year-olds and increases the school's capacity to 245 places.A steel signing has now taken place with pupils, staff and guests making their mark on one of the building's framework girders.Sunderland City Council' s Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Skills, Councillor Louise Farthing said: "Our children and students deserve the very best education and the very best facilities, and that's what we as a City Council and are construction partners are providing with our ambitious school updates programme."It’s a great honour to be here today making our mark as we sign the steel and look to Hetton's opening in 2022." Deputy council leader Claire Rowntree, who is also a ward councillor for Hetton, said: "The new build here at Hetton is very much for all young children as it has both nursery and primary provision. Our new school is a community asset for everyone in Hetton."Headteacher Nicola Hill said: "We have been part of the new build process from the very first plans and now get to witness each phase of the new school being built. The children have watched the landscape of the school change quite dramatically for the last few months and can now say they are part of its structure for many years to come."Staff and children feel so proud that this amazing structure is going to be theirs. Moving day can not come soon enough and we are so looking forward to what this new school will allow us to do, for some of the most amazing children and families."Garry Hope, is the Regional Managing Director of contractors Robertson Construction – North East.He said: "The erection of the steel is an important milestone in the delivery of the new Hetton Primary School. It’s our great pleasure to host guests on site to add their name to the steel frame and become a part of the legacy that Sunderland City Council is creating through these investments and improvements for young people and families."Sunningdale has been designed and managed by the council's Capital Projects team with support from Infrastructure and Property Services colleagues. Further updates are being prepared on council school investments.
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