Heltwate School: Peterborough’s new £6.8 million school project in Bretton set to be complete in April this year

Exteriors of the new Heltwate School premises, built on the site of the former Silver Jubilee pub

A £6.8 million project to expand Heltwate School, in Bretton, Peterborough, is set to be complete in April this year, Peterborough City Council has announced.

According to the council, the project is “progressing well” and work is due to be finished in the week commencing April 10, 2023.

The site, in Heltwate, off Bretton Way, was formerly home to the Silver Jubilee pub – which was demolished by developers in March last year.

The pub had previously been stood empty for more than a decade – closing its doors in April 2009.

Peterborough City Council agreed the purchase of the pub for £650,000 in 2020.

The project will allow the existing Heltwate School to increase in size.

The school currently offers education for 206 pupils, aged 4-19 years, with moderate and severe learning difficulties.

Heltwate School is spilt across two sites – the main site in Bretton, which teaches reception to key stage three pupils, and Heltwate St George’s, in Lawn Avenue, where key stage four and post-16 students are based.

Peterborough City Council provided an update on the progress of the project.

A spokesperson said: “The project is progressing well and is due to complete the week commencing 10 April.

"The slight change in completion date is due to a delay with the delivery of the steel work last year.”

Planning proposals include a new building which will include the provision of five class spaces, hall, sensory rooms, therapy rooms, hygiene rooms, storage, reception and office area, staff room, outdoor covered play area, outdoor hard and soft play areas.

Currently, the school only has one hall, which is oversubscribed – while there is also insufficient classroom sizes.

The new site would have its own visitors and staff parking – with 25 additional spaces – as well as a minibus and taxi pick-up and drop-off space within a secured enclosure.

Architect drawings show a detached two-storey building and a new hard-standing games area for the pupils.

Existing public open space will be converted into school playing fields, including a public footpath linking Heltwate to Pyhill.

The council said the budget for the proposed development is already 70 per cent higher than the original allocation.