Building work on the £32m Melksham Oaks Community School is ahead of schedule according to headteacher Steve Clark.

Teachers, pupils, architects, school governors and councillors gathered at Woolmore Farm, off the A365 at Bowerhilll this morning, where Melksham’s new secondary school is rapidly taking shape.

The state-of-the-art school, sanctioned after a successful bid for £25m of Government cash, will replace the George Ward School in Shurnhold.

Earlier today a traditional ceremony was held as the last batch of concrete was ceremoniously poured into the roof of the main structure, which will house the sixth form centre, learning resource centre and ICT suites.

The task was undertaken by Rob Williams, construction director for Cowlin, the company responsible for building the school, and Christine Deadman, chair of governors at George Ward School.

An Evergreen Oak was placed at the highest point of the building, known as Block C, replicating a Scandanavian religious practice aimed at appeasing the tree-dwelling spirits of their ancestors, which had been displaced by building work.

Mr Clark confirmed the building work, due to be completed by spring 2010, was ahead of schedule.

“We are a long way through planning the move and will be making an announcement in the next couple of weeks about a moving date,” he said.

“You only have to look around to see how fabulous it’s going to be.”

“We are expecting it to be finished in the first quarter of next year, a handover in the spring and then we can move in around July time.”

Once finished, the school will be able to accommodate 1,150 pupils in Years 7-11 and a sixth form for a further 200 students.

Sixth former Ollie Britten, 17, head of the school council, said he was sad he would not benefit from the new school, as he will complete his sixth form studies before it opens.

“I think it is amazing to watch how all of this building work and everything that is going on now will affect people in the future,” he said.