Denstone College has completed the relocation of its prep school to the main school campus.
The Staffordshire day and boarding school officially opened The Prep on 2 September, with ribbon-cutting duties undertaken by the CEO of the Independent Association of Prep Schools, Christopher King.
Metric Building Services carried out the £1.8m development, with the new facility promising a staff:pupil ratio of 1:10, augmented by five part-time teaching assistants. Besides teaching core subjects, specialist staff will deliver lessons in art, music, games, outdoor learning and languages.
New playground areas account for £127k of the investment, which the school says “were carefully designed to aid the physical development of the children and to include an element of adventure and independence”.
The equipment was given a thorough testing at The Prep’s opening ceremony, following a welcome address by the chair of Denstone College, Professor Nigel Ratcliffe, and parents being invited to inspect the new classrooms.
“We are so excited to be part of the College,” said one attendee. “The Prep looks fantastic, well done to all who made it possible; we have one very excited son!”
The new facility follows the decision taken last year to sell the former site of the prep school, Smallwood Manor, and relocate it to the main Denstone College campus.
Such a move, said the school at the time, would make for a financially stronger institution and “provide a seamless transition between preparatory and secondary education”.
Read more: The renovation game
