Work begins on new £9.5m sixth form

Work has begun on building a new £9.5m sixth form centre that will create additional teaching space for 450 pupils.

The new two-storey facility at Abbeyfield School in Chippenham will include a hall, a sixth-form study area, changing rooms and classrooms.

Phase one of the project is expected to be complete by September 2027, when the first 150 places will open.

Councillor Jon Hubbard, cabinet member for education at Wiltshire Council, said: "This investment will help ensure that, as Chippenham continues to grow, local children and young people have access to high-quality facilities where they can learn, develop and succeed."

"Reaching this milestone is a significant moment for the project, and I look forward to seeing the new facilities take shape over the coming months and years," Hubbard added.

A number of current sixth form students were in attendance at a turf cutting ceremony marking the next phase of development.

Phase one of the project is expected to be finished by September 2027, when additional classrooms and laboratories will be constructed as part of the next two phases.

The project's timetable for completion is dependent on the pace of local housing growth.

Head teacher Nick Norgrove said: "We are all astonished with the rate at which the site is transforming and the excitement that the new building will bring with it so many benefits to the school.

"This will really have a significant impact for thousands of pupils and members of the local community in the coming years."

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