Warwick Academy officially broke ground today on what will become the new McCorkell Student Commons.

The facility will be named after outgoing principal Maggie McCorkell, who will be retiring at the end of this school year after 27 years.

Colin Smith, chairman of the Warwick Academy Board, said: “This milestone is achieved through the significant success of our capital campaign which has raised almost $600,000 in pledges to date towards our $900,000 goal.

“We wish to thank our many contributors for their trust and confidence in us to deliver a world-class learning facility. To our students and staff, we ask for your patience and understanding while we embark on this expansion to the Barber Hall Sixth Form Centre over the next five months.

“It was Mrs McCorkell herself, as our IB coordinator, who helped launch our ‘sixth form’ programme in 1999 with just 15 students. Today, 18 years later, this programme caters to over 115 year 12 and year 13 students, a testament to the vision and hard work of our leadership both past and present. The sixth form today is an International Baccalaureate centre as well as offering a BTEC pathway.

“This renovation and expansion will create a lasting legacy for Maggie and will better respond to the dynamic student needs of the future by providing an environment that is more collaborative, more inspirational and more open which inevitably will lead to more exceptional results for both faculty and students.”