The roof of a new £30 million secondary school at Tatenhill has been put into place in a key milestone for the first building project of its kind in Staffordshire for 25 years.
Meanwhile, in a second major educational boost for the Burton area, work has now officially launched on a new £5 million primary school near Henhurst Ridge.
The secondary school will provide 1,550 places while the REAch2 Academy Trust - which already sponsors the nearby Scientia Academy - has been chosen by the Department for Education to run the new primary school.
Both schools are being constructed in line with forthcoming housing developments in the area which have triggered increased demand for school places.
Officers from Staffordshire County Council, Seddon Construction, Entrust, sponsors John Taylor Multi Academy Trust (JTMAT) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency were at the building site in Tatenhill, currently known as John Taylor Free School, to mark the significant milestone in the construction of the secondary school, due to open to pupils in September 2018.
The £30 million school is being built in response to planned housing developments and an increasing birth rate in the Burton area, with around 3,000 new secondary school places needed in the town over the next 15 years.
County Councillor Philip White, cabinet member for learning and employability, said: "Construction on this brand new high school has been progressing extremely efficiently and it is very pleasing to be able to celebrate this significant milestone towards the school opening on time in September 2018.
"We are proud to be building a school that will offer the very best facilities and learning for the local community and we will continue to work with Seddon and John Taylor as we look forward to welcoming the first students to the school next year."
CEO of John Taylor Multi-Academy Trust Mike Donoghue said: "After a rigorous bidding process, and a huge amount of collaboration with the county council, Seddon, and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, we are delighted to see our ambitions for the new school take one step closer to reality.
"Applications from prospective parents continue to come in rapidly, and we look forward to sharing our vision and excitement for the new school at our forthcoming open evening on Tuesday, October 10.
"Our website www.johntaylorfreeschool.co.uk is receiving plenty of hits and, as the only place to apply, it is a must for anyone interested in the new school and securing a place with us. With no catchment area, we look forward to applications from across the town and beyond."
Work has now started on the £5 million primary school which will have space for 420 pupils when it is completed in 2018.
Officers from REAch2, along with representatives from the county council, Entrust, the Education and Skills Funding Agency and J Tomlinson Construction visited the site on Friday, October 6, to officially mark the start of construction.
County Councillor Philip White said: "Delivering a new school at Henhurst is just one part of our comprehensive plan to ensure there are enough school places in Burton to cope with increased demand, so I am delighted to be able to mark the start of construction works.
"We are extremely pleased that REAch2 have been chosen to sponsor the new free school, following on from their success at Scientia Academy and other schools around the county. They have a proven track record in delivering results in this county, and I look forward to working with them to shape this new school so we can make a real difference to the community in Burton."
Charlotte Hopkins, designate principal for Henhurst Ridge, said: "The ceremony was a great opportunity to celebrate the start of ground works on the site for our fantastic new building, which we can't wait to move into. We're excited to be able to offer a brand new primary school in an area where there is a need for more places and look forward to continuing to work with local partners. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in our journey so far."
