Friday 11th November 2011 will see school children, builders, key business figures and politicians come together at the topping out ceremony for the new Thomas Ferens Academy...

...which is being delivered by Sewell Group on behalf of developer Hull Esteem Consortium, the organisation appointed by Hull City Council to deliver the city’s Building Schools for the Future programme.

The topping out ceremony- a tradition that dates back to the days of the Vikings- marks the moment when the highest point of a new building is reached, honouring the construction team’s hard work and wishing them safety on the remaining development work. So far, approximately 101,110 ‘person’ hours have been invested into the construction of the Thomas Ferens Academy.

Paul Sewell, managing director of Sewell Group, said: “I would like to congratulate the construction team and our supply chain for a job very well done up to this point. Topping out is a great construction tradition and we’re delighted that we can mark this milestone on a project that is being delivered on time and on budget.”

Sam Whitaker, general manager at Hull Esteem Consortium, said: “This is a significant stage in the construction of the Thomas Ferens Academy and it is great that so many people are coming together to recognise the hard work that has taken place so far. This project is being delivered by people from Hull for the people of Hull and we are delighted and proud to be responsible for providing Hull’s next generation of schools.”

Councillor Phil Webster, portfolio holder for BSF, said: “This is another fantastic achievement in the BSF programme and I would personally like to thank all the builders employed on this site for reaching this stage. The Academy is a huge investment in the area and will be a wonderful asset to benefit the whole community “

The Thomas Ferens Academy, which has the University of Hull as its lead sponsor, alongside Hull City Council and Wyke and Wilberforce Colleges as co-sponsors, is due to open in September 2012 and will provide state-of-the-art learning and teaching facilities as well as becoming a hub for community activity.