BUILDERS are working flat out on a new £20million Canvey school as they battle to finish ahead of schedule.

VIPs were at Cornelius Vermuyden School to witness the official start of construction on the new building, which is being funded by the Building Schools for the Future programme.

The work will provide an almost entirely new building for the school just 50m from its existing site, with only the school’s current arts and technology block set to remain after 2012.

The plans include a new sports hall, a main hall for presentations and drama and even a covered outdoor eating area.

Workers from construction-firm Skanska have been on site since July and following a frantic two months of activity they are already ahead of schedule.

The foundations of the new school are now in place and visitors to the Dinant Road site will soon be able to see the skeleton of the new sports hall.

Skanska project manager Ian Shinn was delighted with progress so far.

He said: “We’ve worked incredibly hard to get the foundations completed as quickly as possible and we’re now a few weeks ahead of schedule.

“The tower crane will be on site in the next couple of weeks and soon people will be able to see the new school taking shape.”

The new building will have a sleek, contemporary design. Among the proposals will be an outdoor amphitheatre, which will allow teachers to take lessons out of the classroom.

Head teacher Carol Skewes said: “We had fantastic academic results this year in our current premises and this building will transform our teaching and learning facilities.”

Stephen Castle, Essex County Councillor for education, said: “We hope this massive investment will provide a truly 21st century education system for Canvey, “It comes at a time when the rest of the country is losing investment, so it’s a real boost for the whole island.

“A lot of people were sceptical over whether we could deliver these buildings and it’s fantastic to see work getting underway.”

The new sports hall is due to open in April next year, before new science, maths and humanities classrooms open next September.

The rest of the work is hoped to finish by January 2012, when pupils will move into the new premises and the old school will be demolished.