Caroline Flint MP joined Head Gill Pollard and Cllr Chris Mills, Chair of Governors to launch the start of construction on the £9.8million new school building at De Warenne.

Said Caroline:  “The De Warenne Academy is going from strength to strength.  I am delighted that the Government eventually backed a rebuilding of De Warenne.  The old Northcliffe School buildings were long past their best and this is an exciting start for the Academy.  Headteacher, Gill Pollard,  Chair of Governors Chris Mills and their team have done a great job to get this project underway.” 
 
PHOTO SHOWS: FIRST SHOVEL Pupils Megan Ackerman and Mitchell Gelder get to work on the new building, with Caroline Flint and Chair of Governors, Cllr Chris Mills.

Said Chair of Governors Cllr Chris Mills:  “When the new Government came in and stalled school building by scrapping the Building Schools for the Future programme, we were understandably biting our nails.  Fortunately, the new scheme is going ahead, creating important jobs for our community; and a new Academy building suited to providing a  21st century education.”

Headteacher, Gill Pollard said: "We were very pleased to welcome Caroline Flint MP to the ground-breaking ceremony for De Warenne Academy's new building. Caroline has always shown a keen interest in the academy and has been an ardent supporter of the new build plans."

De Warenne, scheduled to be built under the Building Schools for the Future programme, was put on hold when the Coalition came to power; but was given the go-ahead in 2011. The new school building will over look Conisbrough Castle.  The contractors are Wates Construction.

De Warenne is part of the School Partnership Trust, which includes Ash Hill Academy, Rossington All Saints, Don valley Academy and primary schools – Grange Lane Infant Academy and Pheasant Bank Academy among their schools.

IN THE JCB: l to r Megan Ackerman (yr9 pupil ), Headteacher, Gill Pollard, Caroline Flint, Mitchell Gelder (yr7 pupil)