A multi-million pound school re-building programme should finally be completed over the next two months.

Grange Technology College and Hanson School, both in Bradford, Beckfoot School, Bingley, and University Academy Keighley, have been rebuilt on the existing sites. And new special schools have been constructed alongside.

It follows the opening last year of three other primary special schools which next to mainstream primary schools.

The wave of buildings, costing a total of £171.5 million, has been funded by the previous Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme (BSF). But they are the last of the district’s schools to be revamped under the programme after the scheme was abandoned by the coalition Government.

That decision left the third and final phase of the Council’s planned programme to re-build or refurbish 19 further schools as a non-starter.

The opening dates of each have now been revealed by the Council. University Academy Keighley and Beechcliffe Special School was opened on May 4-5. Beckfoot School and Hazelbeck Special School, as well as Grange Technology College and Southfield Special will open on June 20.

And the majority of the new premises at Hanson School, Swain House, will open in July, while work continues on the refurbishment of two sections.

Councillor Ralph Berry, the Council’s executive member for children’s services, said: “These new schools are spectacular, and will be fantastic learning environments for pupils for years to come, and will support our goal of raising achievement.”

Tricia McCarthy, principal of University Academy Keighley, said: “It’s very inspiring to be working in such a fantastic new facility.”

Trish Pearson, head teacher of Beechcliffe Special School, said: “Beechcliffe is the first co-located secondary special school in Bradford. It will make a tremendous long-term difference to our pupils to have these new purpose-built facilities, and to be sharing the campus with the University Academy Keighley.”

  • Read the full story in Monday's T&A