THESE are the first glimpses of the new £33m Oxford Academy.

The Oxford Mail was given a behind-the-scenes tour with principal Mike Reading ahead of the building’s opening in February.

Contractors are putting the finishing touches to the rebuild, in Sandy Lane West, which will provide facilities for up to 1,050 secondary school pupils and 400 sixth-formers.

Mr Reading, who helped design the new academy, said it was an “incredibly exciting” time for staff and students.

He said: “The opening date is getting very close now and I know we are all urging it to hurry up.

“It is amazing to see the buildings going up so quickly. They look brilliant.

“We are going to have first-class, modern facilities for all our students and staff, which is incredibly exciting.”

As part of the development, the academy – formerly Peers School – will have a memorial garden in memory of pupils who have died.

Among those remembered will be Sophie Whipp, a 15-year-old from Greater Leys who died of cancer earlier this year, and former Oxford United trainee Godwin Lawson, 17, who was murdered in Hackney in March.

Mr Reading said: “The memorial garden is a very important part of the academy. It pays tribute to those students from both Peers School and Oxford Academy who have sadly died over the years.

“It is also a link to the school’s past, and it is important to remember that, although we have all these new facilities, there is also an important history here.”

The academy will be carbon neutral and the on-site Mabel Prichard Special School, which is also being rebuilt, will have a natural grass roof.

Some rooms will be able to change in size and shape to cater for different classes, and classrooms will be fitted with video cameras to let teachers record their lessons and watch them afterwards.

The whole upstairs will be given to the sixth formers and the new Littlemore Library will be based in the academy.

In addition, £70,000 of new exercise equipment will be installed for staff, students and the local community.

Mr Reading said: “Our architects, White Design, and contractors Wilmott Dixon have done a fantastic job.

“One of the most exciting aspects of the rebuild is welcoming the local community in to use our rooms, sports facilities and library.

“We want people living nearby to come along and make the best use of what we have to offer.”

Oxford Academy, which is sponsored by the Church of England, Oxford Brookes University and the Beecroft Trust, was this month praised by the education watchdog in its first full report into the school since it opened in 2008.

Ofsted said the school had undergone “rapid improvement” which looked set to continue.

Mr Reading added: “What is most pleasing is that this inspection took place before we moved in.”

FACTS & FIGURES THE £3m Academy consists of a complex of zones.These include:

  • An adult learning centre, leadership centre and sixth form centre
  • A bistro, coffee bar and IT bar
  • A sports hall and three sports classrooms plus a fitness and dance studio.
  • Mabel Prichard School for children with learning difficulties with sensory, soft play, jacuzzi and physio rooms, and five teaching classrooms
  • Eight science labs, music classes with six practice rooms, a drama studio, art and design classrooms, and a digital media classroom
  • Staff work areas
  • The remaining part of the old building will be refurbished for technology and vocational subjects Other features include a wetlands habitat, outdoor classrooms and landscaped courtyards.