Work on track at the new South Shore school Armfield Academy

Paving and landscaping work is going on outside the main high school building at the Armfield Academy, in Lytham Road, South Shore. The old Arnold school, which caters for both primary and secondary aged children, opened in September after a major overhaul, but building work there continues. Inside the main high school building, decorators have just started on the second floor and will be busy keeping ahead of carpet fitters who are due in next week. In turn, they will be keeping ahead of furniture suppliers who start their installations towards the end of April. The heating is now fully on and lighting well progressed, while specialist science laboratory benches have been installed and connected to power, gas, and water.

Is work on track?

Bosses at the Fylde Coast Academy Trust (FCAT), which runs Armfield and a number of Fylde coast schools, say it is. Named after the late Blackpool FC legend Jimmy Armfield, the school opened for year seven pupils and reception youngsters in September, and will continue to take 160 year sevens and 60 reception children each year – which means the school will be at full capacity by 2022. Armfield’s nursery opened just after Christmas.

What are people saying?

John Topping, FCAT’s estates and community relations boss, said: “We are extremely pleased with the superb progress being made by our main contractor Conlons, and can see daily advancements in this facet of our new Armfield Academy.”

Mr Topping said FCAT’s central services team has moved into the refurbished former bursary building, and added: “It is such an advantage to have our key staff within HR, finance, governance, health and safety, data and IT, and estates and community relations all together.”