The Enfield Town school’s rebuild is being funded as part of a £2.4billion programme launched by the previous Conservative government

Designs by Bowmer and Kirkland for Chace Community School and (inset) Chancellor Rachel Reeves

Work is now underway on a major £36million rebuild of an Enfield secondary school – and the project has even been promoted in parliament by the chancellor.

Construction company Bowmer and Kirkland recently arrived on site at Chace Community School in Churchbury Lane to start construction of a three-storey replacement school building and separate sports block along with access, landscaping, and associated infrastructure.

The new buildings are being constructed on playing fields, but once completed the existing main school building will be demolished and new playing fields created to provide a net increase in green space and sports provision. During the two-year construction phase pupils will use off-site playing fields at Hall Recreation Ground.

When the plans were first announced in late 2023, Chace Community explained the plans were necessary to replace the current “inefficient and energy intensive” school buildings and ensure it can “better accommodate students and staff, reduce costs, increase usable external space and provide improved facilities for the local community to share”.

The project has been funded directly by the Department for Education as part of its schools rebuilding programme, first announced in 2022 under the previous Conservative government. Sixty-one schools “with the most severe condition needs” across the country were selected to receive a slice of a £2.4billion funding pot.

In her spending review speech to the House of Commons yesterday (Wednesday 11th), Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “People who went to ordinary comprehensives in the 80s and 90s are all too familiar with the experience of being taught in temporary classrooms.

“It wasn’t acceptable when I was at school, and it isn’t acceptable now. So I am providing investment rising to nearly £2.3bn per year to fix our crumbling classrooms, in addition to £2.4bn per year to continue our programme to rebuild 500 schools, including Chace Community School in Enfield, Woodkirk Academy in Leeds and Budmouth Academy in Weymouth.

“Investing in our young people. Investing in Britain’s future. Investing in opportunity for all.”

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