AN important milestone in Hillingdon’s £150m school investment programme was reached with the topping-out ceremony at Lake Farm Park Academy in Hayes.

The new school will provide 630 places for primary-aged children in Hayes and will incorporate a 90-place nursery and 12-place special needs unit.

The Mayor, Cllr Catherine Dann, and council leader Ray Puddifoot thanked construction workers for ensuring the school will be ready to open its doors to pupils this September.

Located next to Lake Farm Country Park, the school has been designed with sustainability in mind and features an orchard, bat and bird boxes and a kitchen garden. New trees have also been planted at the school, which has been designed to blend in with the parkland.

Eco-concious pupils and teachers will be encouraged to cycle to school and take advantage of a 70-space cycle area. The drop-off car park will also be available for visitors to the country park over the weekend.

Cllr Puddifoot said: "Our priority is to make sure every child in Hillingdon receives the outstanding education they deserve and we are proud to be able to provide this to the children of Hayes in such a superb facility.”

Like many boroughs in London and across the country, Hillingdon has and will continue to see a sustained increase in demand for school places.

In response, it is investing £150m in new primary school places over the next few years.