Page 12 - link magazine

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12 The Link Maaazine • Jul 2005
Popular school to expand
Bradon Forest School has met all the Government's criteria of success The new Hreod Parkway School will soon be rising out of the ground,
and popularity and has been given permission to increase the number next to the present site on Akers Way.
on roll.
This means that every year group will have
252 children, instead of trying to manage a
fluctuating intake between eight and nine forms
of entry.
The school will receive £1.25 million in capital y tion manager Steve Mullins. also the drainage system and pond
funds which will provide extra science labs,
administration areas, careers guidance rooms
and new changing rooms.
From September Bradon will also become a
specialist arts school which will see a new
£200,000 drama studio built in the next year.
Headteacher Len Spiers, above, said he was delighted that Bradon three storeys at the centre of the were consulted on the designs put
Forest could now consolidate its intake and offer much improved school: it's an enormous area, big forward by the different compa-
facilities.
Hreod visits new site
To get a sense of scale to the the sports hall will be built.
project headteacher Andrew Fleet "We were shown the founda-
"± and a group of pupils were given a tions of the 18th Century farm-
conducted tour of the site in early house discovered on the site which
June by Laing O'Rourke construc- archaeologists have studied, and
Mr Fleet said everybody was which is being dug to contain the
impressed. "Seeing the plans and rainwater run off from the site."
the model is one thing, but to actor The group on site included Year
ally pace out the site was incred- 9 pupils Zak Wetlake and Ashley
ible. We were taken to the middle McKeever who, in Year 7, were on
of the atrium which will rise up the Hreod student council which
enough for well over 1,000 people nies bidding to build their new
to gather. school.
"We also saw the foundations They will be in Year 11 when the
for the wings which will radiate school transfers to the new build-
from the atrium and also where ings at Easter 2007.
Steve Mullins of Laing O'Rourke explains how foundations are being built at
the neri' school. Photo: Richard Wintle, Calyx Multimedia
Twenty years for family friendly school
It was all 1980s gear at the Shaw Ridge fete on 18 June to celebrate the
school's twentieth anniversary.
The parents and staff
enjoyed the day as much
as the children, redis-
covering their New Ro-
mantic glitter, leg warm- s
ers and big hair.
Unlike many new :^p^!
.
schools built before or • . r ,. •.^
since, which often !>A + ' ;
opened in spare class- r +^
rooms or mobiles on '.:'
other school sites,
Shaw Ridge Primary
opened in its own Sallie Cowell :r ith Slrazv Ridge yotoi sters
buildings in September
1985. From one class the school education and provides very good
grew to over 240 on roll under the value for money.
headship of Keith Burke, who was Mrs Cowell said the school has
well known for his award winning always had a special family at-
gymnastic teams. mosphere. "The happy environ-
Sally Cowell took over in 2002. ment for both teaching and learn-
The school is now full with 280 ing which Keith established con-
children, recently taking in a tinues. Everybody is important,
number who have left the threat- from the newest, youngest child,
ened Salt Way primary, to the oldest person who works
An Ofsted report in April de- here.
scribed Shaw Ridge as an exciting "It's something which parents,
and successful school that gives children and staff like about Shaw
pupils a very good standard of Ridge."