Key milestone reached in delivery of new secondary school in North Whiteley

Earlier this week, key local stakeholders visited the site for a special ‘topping out’ ceremony, which marks the moment a building reaches full height. They included representatives from Hampshire County Council, which has designed and is project managing the build, and Kier Construction Southern, which is delivering it on the ground. Councillor Roz Chadd, the local authority’s Cabinet Lead Member for Children’s Services, and Councillor Juliet Henderson, Cabinet Member for Education, were also in attendance.

Once complete, the new school will serve the growing community across all of Whiteley, which is expanding by an additional 3,500 homes in the north. 

Councillor Chadd commented: “This is a very exciting stage in the school’s development because you can now see everything really taking shape and coming together. The topping out ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate this significant milestone and recognise all the hard work and commitment that has brought us to this point. Looking ahead, it’s clear to see that this is going to be an exceptional learning environment and a vital amenity for local children and families. I look forward to following the school’s progress through to completion next year and in the meantime, a huge thank you to everyone involved in this incredible project.”

Designed by Hampshire County Council’s expert Property Services team, the new school is being built with capacity for 900 places and scope to expand to up to 1,200 if needed in future. Following extensive consultation with the public and a subsequent decision by Hampshire County Council in April last year, the school will be run by The Henry Cort Community College which will relocate from its current site in Fareham to the new building in North Whiteley from September 2027. At that point, the site will be the catchment school for new secondary children across Whiteley, while Fareham will then be served by Cams Hill School and Fareham Academy.

The new school will include a three-storey main building providing classrooms, drama studio, and assembly and dining halls, with a separate two-storey sports block featuring a four-court sports hall and multi-use activity studio. Subject to consultation and final approval, the building will also include specialist provision for 15 children with autism, including access to a dedicated outdoor area.

Outside, the site will provide two all-weather sports pitches, grass playing fields and a multi-use games area. The school’s sports facilities and assembly hall will be available for community use outside school hours.
  
The site will include a range of measures to reduce carbon emissions and ensure resilience to climate change, and links with the local footpath and cycle network to encourage families and staff to walk and cycle to school.
 
Allan Davey, Head of Design at Kier Construction Southern which was appointed through the Southern Construction Framework, said: “We are proud to bring our expertise in the education sector to this brand-new secondary school for North Whiteley. 
 
“It is fantastic to celebrate this milestone with Hampshire County Council and our trusted supply chain partners. The collaboration across the whole project team is what has brought this project to life over the past eight months. 
 
“With the buildings now at full height, we can clearly see the high-quality learning environment taking shape which will enable pupils to thrive.”