Willmott Dixon has been appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver a £46m rebuild of Bramhall High School in Stockport, with construction starting on site next month.
Designed by Sheppard Robson, the scheme will create a new three-storey, 9,252 square metre school for 11- to 16-year-olds, including specialist provision for pupils with special educational needs.
A retained single-storey block will be remodelled as part of the works, with six existing blocks demolished once the new building is complete.
The school will remain open and operating as normal throughout.
Building a new secondary school inside the boundary of a live operational school is a key challenge on the project, and it is why Willmott Dixon has been working alongside the DfE, the school and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, which owns the site, since May 2025 in an extended preconstruction period to ensure work is carried out seamlessly in this environment.
External works will include new sports provision, car parking, fencing and hard and soft landscaping. Low-carbon technologies specified for the completed building include photovoltaic panels, ground source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points.
Construction begins in October 2026, with the new school building scheduled for completion in August 2028, in time for the new academic year. Overall site completion is expected in September 2029.
Mike Walmsley, North West Operations Director at Willmott Dixon: “We’re delighted to be delivering the new Bramhall High School and to be playing a part in creating an excellent new learning environment for pupils. Bramhall will be rebuilt around a school that stays open every single day of the programme. Sequencing the new building, the demolition of six blocks and the external works so that teaching is never interrupted is the discipline that will define this project, and it is the reason the DfE and the school brought us in more than a year before we start on site.”
“This is our third major Department for Education appointment in the North West inside twelve months, and our third recent project in Stockport. That continuity gives us a local supply chain and a local workforce we can draw on from day one, rather than building both from scratch.”
Paul Williams, Headteacher of Bramhall High School: “This rebuild is a transformative moment in our school’s history. Working with the Department for Education and Willmott Dixon, we are creating a state-of-the-art school that reflects the ambition, resilience and excellence that define Bramhall High School. After a challenging period due to RAAC, this project marks a bold new chapter, one that will benefit students for decades to come.”
Willmott Dixon will prioritise spend with local businesses and create local employment opportunities alongside delivering over 400 hours of engagement with the school through work experience, skills sessions, trade placements and specific interventions for Pupil Premium students - raising aspirations and helping students thrive.
Cllr Mark Roberts, Stockport Council Leader: “This is a hugely positive step for Bramhall High School and its pupils. This investment in our borough will give children and young people the skills and confidence to succeed not just in school, but in life, creating an improved and more inclusive learning environment for generations of students to come. It is also a clear example of how we are delivering on our Council Plan and our ambition for Stockport to be the best place to grow up, with excellent schools that help every child achieve their full potential.
"We look forward to seeing Willmott Dixon bring forward a school that matches the ambition we have for good education provision across our borough, along with specialist SEND provision for young people to access the right support in the right environment."
The appointment continues a sustained run of work for Willmott Dixon in Stockport. The company delivered the town centre’s Stockport Interchange and the Viaduct Park above it for Transport for Greater Manchester and is completing the £20m Marple Community Hub for Stockport Council, which brings a five-lane swimming pool, library, fitness suite and the relocated Marple Clinic together in Marple Memorial Park.
Bramhall is Willmott Dixon’s latest appointment under the DfE Construction Framework, following the £61m rebuild of The Mosslands School in Wallasey and the £39m block replacement at Hopwood Hall College’s Rochdale campus, both secured this year. The company has also delivered the net zero carbon in operation Tarleton Academy in Preston and Brian Clarke Academy in Oldham for the DfE and is on site at Wigan and Leigh College.
