£8m project at Leeds school

Greenhill Fold in Upper Wortley is an £8 million village development that will consist of 49 family houses. Former staff at Upper Wortley School, who all now work across the road at Five Lanes Primary School, were keen to see how the building and its surroundings are being brought back to life.

The project, by Rushbond Group and Advent Developments, will see the existing school building transformed into 13, two and three bedroom loft style houses that maximise the building’s original character, with 36 contemporary new homes built within the school’s grounds.

Jo Fiddes, head teacher at Five Lanes Primary School, said: “This was a great opportunity to find out about the work that’s going on at the site. Everyone knows pupils from the former school and approximately 30 members of our team previously worked there, so they were really interested to see how its future is being safeguarded through this development.”

Trish Bushell was a third generation pupil at Upper Wortley School and now works as a teaching assistant at Five Lanes Primary School. She said:”My mother and grandmother also went to Upper Wortley School so it’s an important part of my family’s history. It was always a great school and I have lots of happy memories from my time there. After seeing it standing empty in recent years, it’s a huge relief to see it being brought back to life.”

Tim Reeve from Advent Developments said: “We were delighted to welcome so many people with connections to the school to the development and show them how we’re sympathetically restoring the former school .”