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Lord Mayor sees transformation of city school
The Lord Mayor of Bristol saw for himself the transformation under way at a city secondary school when he visited St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School.
Bristol Local Education Partnership (LEP) is replacing much of the old school with a brand-new building under the city’s Building Schools for the Future programme.
In one of his final official engagements before he stepped down after two years as Lord Mayor, Councillor Christopher Davies was taken on a tour of the existing school buildings and the new building now being built by Skanska, the LEP’s project development and construction partner.
The visit on 20 April 2010 meant that the Lord Mayor visited all the city’s secondary schools being rebuilt by the LEP and Skanska.
At St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School, a new teaching block on four levels is being constructed to wrap around the existing buildings, with a covered ‘street’ linking the retained buildings with the new. Much-needed new music facilities are being created, as well as facilities for arts, ICT, English, maths, science and technology.
After students and staff move into the new building this autumn, the existing main school block, which dates from the 1960s and has ‘concrete cancer’, will be demolished and landscaping work will be carried out.
Elisabeth Gilpin, Headteacher, said: “I am delighted with the new building which will have amazing practical facilities and more space for the students and a wonderful sports hall. We are looking forward to moving in during October.
“The old buildings have served the school well and witnessed excellent student achievement and great teaching and learning, but it is time to move on and leave behind the concrete cancer and cramped facilities! It is a pleasure to show the Lord Mayor round, celebrate the past and look forward to the future together.”
Paul Shadbolt, General Manager of Bristol LEP, said: “We are developing an exciting new building that will help St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School continue to provide a first-class environment for teaching and learning. We are glad of the opportunity to show the Lord Mayor the transformation that is now taking place.”
Cllr Davies said: "As Lord Mayor I have had the opportunity to visit all of Bristol's secondary schools as they have been rebuilt. They are quite different buildings with their own unique elements and Skanska has done a great job for Bristol in bringing it all together. These excellent facilities will contribute to the drive to continue to raise standards of education in the city.”
Bristol LEP is extensively rebuilding and extending four other secondary schools – Ashton Park, Cotham, St Bede’s and St Bernadette – as well as building new schools for Knowle DGE and Oasis Academy Bristol. It is also redeveloping two former independent schools that have become academies and working with Bristol City Council on plans to transform many primary schools.
Between 2007 and 2009, the LEP – which comprises the City Council, Partnerships for Schools and Skanska – delivered four new secondary schools under the Building Schools for the Future programme.
