Henry Boot Construction completes work on Leeds high school extension

The main phase of work on a contemporary two-storey extension at an outstanding Leeds high school completed this week, helping to increase student capacity by over 400.

The lead contractor on the project, Henry Boot Construction, started construction on the new 2,500m2 extension at Allerton High School on King Lane in June 2022.

In addition to the extension, which sees the school’s capacity grow from 1,400 to 1,840, the project added attractive new outdoor landscaping, modernisations to the car park – including new EV charging facilities, and minor refurbishment to an existing block.

In total, the development has added multiple new classrooms and offices, a bespoke suite of rooms to house provision for students with SEND, PE changing rooms, a staff room, a meeting room, a new cafeteria and a kitchen. Now that this primary stage of the development is complete, installation of a Sport England football pitch will begin, with completion set for late 2023.

In September 2022, Allerton welcomed an additional 60 Y7 pupils, aged 11, as part of a phased plan to add more than 400 pupils over the next few years. The new building extension enables the school to add to the overall capacity without greatly increasing individual class sizes – providing the best possible learning environment for their students.

Yorkshire-based Henry Boot has worked closely with Leeds Local Education Partnership, Leeds City Council and design partner NPS Group on this project.

Henry Boot Construction Managing Director, Tony Shaw, said: “We’re delighted to have successfully completed the extension work on Allerton High School. We’ve undertaken a truly collaborative approach alongside the design team, the Council, our local supply chain and, of course, the school itself.

“Consequently, the project ran smoothly and Allerton staff will now have the rest of the summer to get used to their new surroundings and plan for the next academic year.”

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Economy, Culture and Education, said: “We want to ensure that all children in Leeds continue to have access to the best possible education. The completed development at Allerton High School will ensure there are more school places available for local children which is a strong focus for the council. It also means that current and new pupils will enjoy and benefit from an enhanced learning environment.”

Andy Haigh, Deputy Headteacher at Allerton High School, added: “Allerton High School is delighted to move into this well-designed and well-constructed building. The new classrooms will provide an excellent learning environment for our growing school community and the new cafeteria will allow all our students to enjoy their breaks in comfort.”

Yorkshire-based Henry Boot Construction is an award-winning construction contractor working across the public and private sector. They have completed an array of education projects in the region over recent years, including an extension at Iveson Primary School in Leeds and the major refurbishment of an SEN Learning Centre in Headingley.