Construction firm building links with Hartlepool school as part of multi-million pound development

Jason Kelly (BAM) , Stephen Hammond (Headteacher), Mark Blackwood (Pastoral Manager for Year 11), Jack Palmer (Y11 Student), Anjalee Dhaliwal (Year 11 Student)

BAM Construction, the contractor delivering the new school building at English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College in Hartlepool, has donated £3,340 to the school to support Year 11 students.

English Martyrs, in Catcote Road, is one of five North East schools that have been awarded a total of £67m in funding in the second wave of the Government’s Priority Schools Building Programme.The new three-storey school building is being built adjacent the existing school in Catcote Road and will be completed in the summer of 2019.

Artistic impression of the new English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College building.

The donation has funded exam fees and course materials for a business & finance course, which is currently running for Year 11 students.

The remainder of the donation will be used towards the Year 11 prom which will take place next July.

BAM project manager, Jason Kelly said: “We’re working closely with the school and when we heard they were looking for funding we were delighted to help.

“BAM runs an Enhancing Lives Programme which is about having a positive impact on the communities in which we build. Enhancing education, supporting schools, offering work experience placements and providing STEM learning opportunities is a big part of what we do."

Mark Blackwood, pastoral manager for Year 11, was extremely happy with the donation and extended his thanks to BAM saying: “I can’t thank BAM enough for the generous donation to our Year 11 students.”

“The business course will help to further enhance the education of the students who are working extremely hard to gain the extra qualification on top of their other subjects.”

“The remainder of the money going to the Prom will be a real treat for the hard work they have put in.

The construction site of the new school has been visited by students from other school and colleges in Hartlepool, giving them the rare opportunity to see a ‘live’ site in action.

The project is part of the Department for Education’s (DFE) North East Priority School Building Programme which BAM Construction is delivering, with a combined value of £67 million.