In 2004 a major project was started, this involved:

• Demolition of parts of the old building including the kitchen and laundry, whitehall and part of St Anthony's Passage.
• Building a new teaching block on the cleared site.
• Conversion of the Dining Room to a new Staff Room.
• Building a new Staff Conservatory on the balcony.
• Converting part of the old staff room and the sixth form cloakroom into a new dining room.
• Building an extension to the new dining room.
• Converting the cloakroom and toilets into a new kitchen.
• Converting the DT and Food Technology rooms in the Lingdale Builing to science labs.
• Converting the Textiles room in the Lingdale Building to an ICT suite.

In 2005 work was completed on the new teaching block, this provides eight new classrooms and new specialist rooms for Food Technology, Art, Textiles, ICT, Drama, Graphics, Resilient Materials and Product Design, the building also has a new reception area.

The Holt Building in 2005

The building was designed by Nightingale Associates and construction was carried out by Mansell Construction.

The Holt Building Under Construction in 2004

The new building was named the 'Holt Building', after Holt Hill Convent, another FCJ school in Birkenhead which opened in 1857. The school closed in 1976. More information about Holt Hill Convent can be found here

The Reception Area in the Holt Building in 2006

To make room for the new building, it was necessary to demolish the old kitchen and laundry wing.

 

On 29th April, while digging trenches for the footings, the builders lifted a large block of stone. Below the stone they found an old well. This was located just outside Whitehall.

The Cover Being Removed from the Well

The well was measured and found to be about 7 metres deep to the surface of the water, and the water was about 6 metres deep. The well was capped and building work continued.

The Well Shaft

The Holt Building was officially opened by Cherie Blair, wife of the then Prime Minister, on 18 September 2006.

Cherie Blair Opening the Holt Building