In addition to the annual maintenance work and deep cleaning, this summer saw significant building activity take place in a number of our academies. Some highlights include:

• Students at Outwood Academy City were welcomed back to a significantly extended and impressive new dining space that has been built to accommodate the increasing numbers of students filling the school; 

• Outwood Academies Easingwold (which joined the Trust last year) and Ripon in North Yorkshire have had full heating system replacements, including the removal of asbestos, along with Easingwold also seeing a new electrical installation and redecoration; 

• Whilst on a smaller scale, but no less vital to the experience of our children at school, the entrance and cloakroom area at Outwood Primary Academy Lofthouse Gate and a library at Outwood Academy Carlton have been completed. In addition, new pastoral teaching spaces have been added at Outwood Academies Freeston, Hemsworth and City Fields, with City Fields also getting new student toilets; 

• OGAT is also investing over £4 million in a full rebuild at Outwood Primary Academy Kirkhamgate in Wakefield to replace the poor buildings that have been the school for the last 40 years and are now past their purposeful life. The Trust has appointed Triton Construction, who are locally based in the city, to begin these works which are due to complete in late 2019. The new school will be built towards the front of the existing school site, allowing fascinating opportunities for children and staff to safely observe and visit the developing site and building; and 

• The Trust has also committed funds to building projects which include a new sports hall and facilities in Outwood Academies Easingwold and Ripon and a multi-million pound new build at the newly joined Outwood Academy Hemsworth.  This will see the replacement of a number of the existing poor condition teaching blocks, replaced with new art, drama and music spaces alongside new dining and assembly facilities. 

All of these projects highlight the focus we place on the investment needed to improve the experience and education of our children.