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Pupils draw their self portraits on a board provided at the Ryedene School topping out ceremony

Topping out ceremony marks progress at Essex primary school expansion

News |

Morgan Sindall Construction has hosted a milestone event to mark the latest progress at the £3.1 million expansion to Ryedene Primary and Nursery School in Basildon, Essex.

The construction company is delivering the major expansion project on behalf of Essex County Council, which will see 210 new school places created for Ryedene Primary and Nursery School.

The school, on Clover Way, is currently undergoing a significant expansion to create a new teaching block with eight classrooms, as well as upgrades to the school’s existing facilities and an extension to create a new kitchen area.

A new car park is being built to provide additional parking spaces for the school as well as landscaping works to the school’s outdoor space.

A topping out ceremony was held by Morgan Sindall Construction to celebrate reaching the highest point in the new building’s structure.

Children at the new school were encouraged to get creative and draw their self-portrait on a bespoke topping out board which will be displayed in the school’s new building following completion.

Morgan Sindall Construction was appointed to the scheme under the £300 million four-year Essex Construction Framework (ECF) which has supported the construction of thousands of new school places across the region.

Chris Travers, operations director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the East of England, said: “We’re pleased to be progressing well on the expansion to Ryedene Primary and Nursey School. This new facility is a testament to the incredible investment that Essex County Council is injecting into the region’s education facilities.
“Ryedene’s new and improved facilities will serve as a lasting legacy for future generations of pupils to enjoy and really make the most out of this first chapter in their education. We’re looking forward to continuing with work and handing over the new teaching block later this year.”
Councillor Ray Gooding, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “I’m so pleased to see work is progressing on yet another school expansion project in Basildon. This comes following several projects to expand schools in the area over the past few years. Continued investment means we can ensure local children have access to excellent schools with high quality facilities. This is great for local communities and means families have greater choice when it comes to applying for a school place.
“Well done to everyone who has helped to get us to this stage. I look forward to seeing the new facilities at Ryedene Primary and Nursery School when the project is finally complete, as well as the expansion and construction of new schools in Basildon in the future.”

Morgan Sindall Construction is on site at major schemes across the East. In Benfleet, Essex, the company is building a new 20-bed residential accommodation for special education needs (SEN) facility Glenwood School, on behalf of Essex County Council. The state-of-the-art respite care facilities provide support for children and young adults with severe and multiple learning difficulties.

  • For more information about this news release please contact Steph Bocking at Influential on 0151 239 5000 or email bocking@thisisinfluential.com