Plans for a £13.5m overhaul of a Hampshire secondary school revealed
Detailed plans for a £13.5 overhaul of a Hampshire secondary school so it can teach hundreds more pupils have been revealed.
In March, Hampshire County Council said it would expand Alderwood School in Aldershot because 300 children are expected to start secondary school in September 2025.
The senior school currently has 866 pupils on roll and the proposed expansion plan involves building 12 new classrooms, allowing the school to admit two extra classes in each year group, increasing the school’s total capacity to 1,150 students.
To do that, the design technology block would be demolished to make way for a two-story building connected to the existing science classrooms, which will be refurbished and re-roofed as part of the proposals.
The proposed new two-storey building would include two dedicated classrooms for technology subjects, a textiles classroom, a graphics classroom, three new science classrooms, five general teaching classrooms, and staff offices and meeting rooms.
Other improvements proposed include refurbishing the six science classrooms by removing the roof.
The staff car park would be expanded from 82 spaces to 107, including four accessible bays and two electric charging stations. Cycle storage would also be extended from 40 to 70 bicycles.
The plans also include three “Grab and Go” food outlets on the school grounds, which would be open during lunchtime.
The planning statement said that despite the school wanting to start works “as soon as possible”, the extensions are “complex” and “invasive”; therefore, works would be split into two separate contracts and construction times.
The first phase will involve relocating classrooms “elsewhere” on the site to allow the demolition of the design technology building.
The second phase will involve reconstructing the building and re-roofing and refurbishing the six science classrooms.
The main contractor has already been appointed and is currently preparing the logistic plan and the construction statement.
However, works are expected to start no earlier than 8am and stop around drop-off and pick-up hours.
Alderwood School originally opened as Aldershot Heron Wood Secondary Boys School in 1962 and over the years, improvements have been made including a single-story building wing, a sports hall, drama studios, and a nursery.
In September 2017, the Connaught School merged with Newport Junior School and Belle Vue Infant School to create a single all-through school —ages 4 to 16—across three sites, to be collectively called Alderwood School.
The public consultation is open until May 2. To submit your comments, visit Hampshire County Council’s planning portal with the HCC/2024/0177 reference number.