Pim Grimes, headmistress of St Swithun’s Junior School, Winchester received the keys to the impressive new junior school at a key handover ceremony in front of pupils, staff, parents, governors and contractors. The new school, built on the existing Alresford Road campus, will open this September.
Having officially opened the new school’s doors for the first time, everyone was invited to have a tour of the outstanding new teaching spaces and facilities. Commenting on the success of the project, she said: “The handover of the key to our new school is certainly a historic moment. What started as an idea then became a plan, then a design, and now we have this spectacular building. We would like to extend our gratitude and thanks to everyone who has made it possible for the idea to become a reality.”
She added: “From September, our teaching and learning facilities and, in particular, the way in which the new building links with the wonderful outdoors environment that we have here will transform the education that we are able to offer our pupils.”
With all of the external work on the new building completed and the fittings and internal decoration finished, all that remains is for the furniture to be installed before the new school opens its doors in September.
The new school replaces the existing school buildings and will enable the Junior School to increase its pupil numbers to 256 in response to an increased demand for places, whilst also allowing smaller class sizes. The development includes specialist teaching rooms, a science laboratory, an art studio, a media/computing room and a new performing arts space and gym.
The new performing arts space and gym will then be completed at the start of 2016 and in the meantime our pupils will use the existing hall and gym.
