Topping-out ceremony marks East Devon school’s progress to completion

Children from Year 2 at Westclyst Community Primary School (WCPS) walked into their new school hall for the first time on 29 April, when the official Topping Out ceremony took place at the site of the brand-new building in Hillside Gardens, Westclyst.

Local councillors, school governors, the headteacher, members of the teaching staff and pupils from the school attended the ceremony, together with representatives of Galliford Try (GT), the contractors building the school.

Mike Lillis, operations manager for GT, emphasised the firm’s commitment to the community of Westclyst as well as to the school and confirmed that the construction work is still on time for completion for the new school year in September this year.

Part of the Cornerstone Academy Trust, WCPS opened in 2016; the first three intakes of children have been accommodated in purpose-built temporary classrooms at Broadclyst Community Primary School (BCPS), the Ofsted-outstanding school from which the Trust developed, two miles away.

As extensive house building continues in this area east of Exeter, the Cornerstone Academy Trust is due to open another primary school to support the new community at Monkerton in 2020.