WORK has started on a £15m rebuild of an academy school in Southampton.

A new eco-friendly building with state-of-the art classrooms will house up to 900 Oasis Academy Mayfield pupils.

The academy was formed two years ago through a merger of Woolston and Grove Park schools and has been run from split campuses They will come together at The Grove site in Sholing by September 2012. The school is being almost completely rebuilt as a “community hub”. A recently built sports block will be retained.

A turf-cutting ceremony was held to mark the start of the transformation.

Southampton City Council schools boss councillor Paul Holmes said: “Better school buildings have an impact on results and their wider community.

“In the immediate future, this project is also a boost for the local economy in tough times, providing new jobs and opportunities for local businesses to work with our main contractor.”

The new buildings are being constructed by Carillion which also won the contract to build a new campus for a sister academy in Lordshill earmarked for playing fields at Five Acres, next to The Cedar School.