Sandwell schools rebuild plan will see Phoenix Collegiate Academy rise from the rubble

The Phoenix Collegiate Academy campus in Clarkes Lane, is among five Sandwell schools being revamped as part of the government's £6 billion Priority Schools Building Programme.

If the plans are approved, only one of the school's current buildings, its learning centre, will remain, with the rest being bulldozed.

These buildings would be replaced by a single three-storey L-shaped 'superblock'. The school's sports hall would also be extended and refurbished and a new multi-purpose games area added.

Wolverhampton-based construction giant Carillion has been lined up to carry out the rebuild.

Headteacher Gary Hill said the plans remained in the early stages but that it is an exciting time for the school.

He said the rebuild would vastly improve the facilities on offer.

He said: "We have been working with the Education Funding Agency and Carillion for quite a while now and we have pulled together a detailed design.

"Clearly we are delighted as a school to be getting what is almost a full rebuild. It is going to give us state-of-the-art facilities."

The Phoenix Collegiate was formed in 2010 after a merger between the Menzies High School and Manor High School.

The redevelopment will see the number of pupils at the site climb beyond the 2,000 mark.

Mr Hill said he was proud to be leading the school at a time of such massive change.

"It is terrific. Some of the facilities we are getting are going to be wonderful," he said.

"It will be a great asset to the community.

"We will be engaging pupils in the process now and our future pupils at primary schools as well.

"We want them to be involved in shaping their school.

"It's a really exciting time at the moment."

Mr Hill said it was too early to estimate when work would start and that it had not yet been decided where the school's 1,800 pupils will be taught while the rebuild is taking place.

The Priority Schools Building Programme was launched by the Government on 2011, targeting schools in urgent need of repair.

More than 250 schools are expected to be be rebuilt across the country.

In February, it was revealed that 22 schools in the West Midlands had been earmarked for improvements as part of the second phase of the scheme.

These include Huntingtree Primary School in Halesowen and Ridgewood High School in Wollaston.