A new state-of-the-art sports hall and fitness suite is being built at Backwell School.

The £3million project will create better sporting opportunities for the school’s secondary and sixth form students.

It also includes a new block of science classrooms, to provide much-needed additional teaching space, and a staff office.

Work has started on the new facility, which is expected to be completed by May next year.

Lancashire-based Collinson Construction is acting as main contractor for the project.

Headteacher Jon Nunes said: “We are very excited to see the construction beginning on our new building.

“It is currently a very challenging time for schools and to see the structure come together and the building take shape is providing us all with a positive focus for the future of our school.

“A project of such scale on a large busy school site like ours can be logistically challenging, however Collinson Construction has managed this incredibly well.

“Our new building will provide state of the art facilities for our students and the local community. We will have a new fully sized sports hall and a new teaching block with five classrooms, including three science laboratories.

“We look forward with great anticipation to using our new curriculum spaces in 2021.”

Backwell School’s new sports hall will feature four courts, as well as changing facilities for pupils.

The project has been funded through the Lighthouse Schools Partnership and a Priority School Building Programme grant.

The facility was approved by North Somerset Council planners in June, with contractors now bringing the scheme to life on the former site of tennis courts.

Rob Duxbury, managing director at Collinson Construction, said: “We’ve had an extremely busy year creating inspiring new sports spaces for education providers, but we’ve seen a sharp rise in demand for additional teaching space in response to the current pandemic too.

“We’re proud to be working closely with Backwell School to deliver this innovative new facility that will not only help shape the sporting skills of students, but also benefit the wider community by encouraging them to take part in more physical exercise.”