Extended West Hull school now offers brand new subjects

Pupils at The Boulevard Academy in West Hull are now benefitting from new classrooms, additional courses and more pupil places as the three-storey extension, delivered by Sewell Construction, is complete. 

The £6million extension opened for the new school year, increasing student capacity by 300 places and enabling the school to offer new courses from this September. 

The Academy now has a total capacity of 900 pupil places, along with an extended multi-use games area, a new activity studio and new dedicated rooms for food technology and textiles, meaning the Academy is now offering courses in these subjects for the first time. 

Two specialist music rooms with four new practice areas for lessons and rehearsals are now in use, along with additional computer science facilities. 

Councillor Linda Tock, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services at Hull City Council, said: “Making sure Hull’s children get the best possible education is one of the most important things we can do. 

“I’m delighted to see work complete to deliver much-needed secondary school places for the city and provide more choice for families.” 

Janice Mitchell, CEO and Principal of The Boulevard Academy said: “We are delighted to announce the opening of our school extension. Our students are already benefitting from the new specialist teaching rooms and all the opportunities that these additional subjects bring. We look forward to offering sessions to parents in our new facilities in months and years to come and strive to ensure that our Academy is a hub for our community.” 

The project was delivered by Hull Esteem Consortium LEP Ltd as part of Hull City Council’s £50million investment into Hull’s schools, with Sewell Construction appointed to carry out the work. 

Mark Boothby, Sewell Construction Joint Managing Director, added: “Throughout the project we’ve worked closely with Hull City Council, Esteem and The Boulevard Academy to deliver a high-quality new learning environment that they can be proud of. 

“Students and staff have also been involved with the project at each step of the journey, by visiting site and getting an insight into careers in the construction industry. A highlight has been the relationship built between us and Mark Swallow, Senior Lecturer in Construction Project Management at Sheffield Hallam University to give students an insight into how digital technology and virtual reality can be used in the construction industry.” 

The site team engaged with staff and students throughout the project, offering site tours, attending the school’s careers fair, celebrating key project milestones with local rugby team Hull FC, as well as offering opportunities for students to get a taster for the trade in bricklaying workshops and providing careers advice alongside delivery partners.