Bucks’ first ever satellite school - an extension of High Wycombe’s St Michael's Catholic School, has educated new apprentices on the 68-week construction process.

The construction process educated 14 young apprentices who worked on the £24 million project.

Technical apprentice Oliver Southam, aged 19, from Aylesbury assisted project manager Declan Galvin on the site who has employed over 1200 people during in the build.

Declan said: “I started as an apprentice myself thirty years ago, and I know what it means to have somebody to help you as you find your feet and apply the theory.

“This is an increasingly technical profession – we have used a complex suite of digital technology to help us model and create the school for example – but it still needs people skills and practical experience to apply that technology.”

Another apprentice Anthony Ball, also 19, completed his carpentry apprenticeship at the St Michael’s site and has now been employed by one of BAM’s sub-contractors after all the experience her gained during the construction process.

BAM have been doing various projects in Aylesbury since 1955 such as building part of the Eythrope Pavillion for James de Rothschild, and have worked with the Head of St Michael’s, Anthony Palmer, to tour around 50 pupils round the building whilst it was being developed.

Mr Palmer says: “BAM has been extremely accommodating by inviting eight different winners per half term to come and tour the site with me.

"In all, 48 pupils (nearly 50 per cent of the year group) have been able to experience a tour of the building during different stages of its development.

“The team-taught pupils about how projects as large as this are planned and delivered. They ran some excellent workshops for the whole school back in November.”

The plans for the new school were approved last year as increases in new houses being built in Aylesbury have led to a higher demand for secondary school places in the town.

In September 2018 the Aylesbury Campus opened in temporary accommodation for 120 year seven pupils in Bierton.

This September, they will move to their new permanent home on Weedon Road and be joined by 150 new year sevens, rising to 180 year in 2020.