YARM School has appointed contractors to carry out its £3m investment in new sporting facilities.

A stunning new boat house, new full-sized flood-lit artificial hockey pitch and a facility to accommodate 12 tennis courts will be completed by Cleveland Land Services of Guisborough and Foden Spence Construction of Middlesbrough.

Cleveland Land Services – one of the country’s leading installers of sports pitches – will lay the new pitch and undertake major landscaping in the school’s grounds which is due to be completed by August.

Foden Spence will work alongside them to construct the ultra-modern boathouse to the rear of the pitch. Built on stilts it will project towards the banks of the River Tees and house up to a dozen boats including single sculls, fours and eights. It will provide training facility for rowers, changing rooms, offices and a viewing gallery for events on the river and the AstroTurf.

Cleveland Land Services will also create a new car park in front of the Friarage, a new road through school and new pupil footpath to the main gates. The work will also involve constructing a permanent one-way system through the school grounds and two-lane exit via the current main gate.

David Dunn, headmaster, said: “It’s an exciting time for the school as we make further investment in our facilities. We are delighted to be able to draw upon the expertise and manpower of local companies to carry out the work. In addition, our new £2m Music School is due to be completed in the summer and we have used Darlington-based Wharton Construction to carry out that work.”

Mr Dunn added: “Many Yarm School rowers enjoy success at regional, national and international level. Kat Copeland brought home Olympic Gold in 2012. Since 2006, Yarm has always had representation in the GB junior teams, including four pupils who rowed for team GB at the Youth Olympics, Sydney."

Plans for the boat house and pitch were drawn up by Associated Architects, who also designed the school’s award-winning Princess Alexandra Auditorium.