Phase one of £3m pro-bono school refurb completes

Henry Boot Construction is reconfiguring Hilltop School, a special educational needs academy, in Rotherham free of charge, and has now delivered the first stage within 15 weeks.

Extensive internal reconfigurations have now completed, including demolition, the installation of new partition walls, and re-opening up space by removing an independent steel frame structure over the internal courtyard.

Since work began in July, four new classrooms have been created, with associated toilet and kitchenette facilities, along with staff rooms.

Further phases are set to include new-build classrooms and a rebound centre – an area designed to host therapeutic spaces.

Henry Boot Construction delivered all main contractor duties free of charge, including preliminaries and site management, while its supply chain provided time, labour, and materials at discounted rates, reducing costs by more than £650,000.

The firm is working alongside supply chain partners the Nexus Multi Academy Trust and Yorkshire Children’s Charity, through its Great Yorkshire Build initiative.

That scheme is replacing temporary, cramped buildings with modern, purpose-built facilities throughout SEND schools across the region, and more than 50 Yorkshire-based construction firms have collaborated on the project.

Ian Gresser, head of pre-construction at Henry Boot Construction, said: “Completing the first phase at Hilltop School is a fantastic milestone for everyone involved.

“We’re incredibly proud to have been the first contractor on site to kickstart this project and to see real progress already taking shape.

“Social value is about legacy, and here that means giving children the environment they deserve.

“The collaboration, skill, and generosity of our team and supply chain partners has been outstanding – helping us to create spaces that will genuinely make a difference for children, teachers, and families across the region.

“We’re looking forward to the next phase and getting one step closer to making the full transformation a reality.”

Founder and chief executive of Yorkshire Children’s Charity, Charlotte Farrington, comments: “Hilltop School has been our biggest and most ambitious Great Yorkshire Build to date, and the way the Yorkshire property industry has rallied behind this project is nothing short of phenomenal.

“The children at Hilltop finally have the supportive, nurturing environment they deserve, and their teachers now have the tools and spaces they need to do their job.”