BAM bags another academy

BAM Construct UK has been awarded a £10.9 million contract to upgrade Maltby Academy in Rotherham in the fourth of five academy wins this month.

The contractor will deliver two new buildings as well as refreshing, remodelling and refurbishing other parts of the Yorkshire school’s estate.

Maltby Academy, which has space for 1,200 students aged 11-19, is currently a mixture of buildings from the 1930s, 1960s and the start of this century.

BAM will build a new business and enterprise centre, which will become the front of the reworked academy and a facility for the community as well as students.

The contractor will also deliver a purpose built sports science facility and convert the old gymnasium for use in the performing and creative arts.

BAM will start on site in June 2012 and the buildings will be fully operational in September 2013 for the start of the academic year. Full completion will follow shortly afterwards.

The Maltby Academy win follows the contractor being appointed preferred bidder for the £11.5m All Saints Academy as well as the £9.6m Marine Academy, both in Plymouth.

Building understands the firm has also won the £5m Ealing ARK Priory academy in west London and one other job, yet to be announced.

That brings to nine the total the contractor has won on the government’s fast-track academies framework, since it was launched last year, edging the contractor level with Balfour Beatty in the race for academies work.

A total of 71 fast-track academies will be built under the schools capital programme, announced by education secretary Michael Gove last year as a stop gap between the cancelled £55bn Building Schools for the Future Programme, and the government’s £2bn Priority Schools Building programme, which has been repeatedly delayed.