NEW BUILDINGS

February 2008

Well, it's been a long time coming but as reported in the School Newsletter at the end of Term 1 we have finally had plans for Phase 2 new building project passed following a presentation to the commitee. The original plans which were due to go into action in the summer holidays of 2007, unfortunately were not passed and put the build process back. The good news is that it is intended that the works will begin on the new building in March 2008. Here is a copy of the plans for the intended new building. We'll keep you updated with progress!

June 5th 2006

Well we are inside our new building and starting to get settled in and actually using the new facilities. If you've been watching the gallery you can tell that the students have been very excited and taking lots of pictures. So have the staff! So here is a little guided tour around this new section.

The new entrance of the school is suitably impressive  - It was like Ground Force on one day. One moment a building site, the next an elegant manicured entrance.

Steve Buckley, one of the B&NES team also took some pictures of the outside.

This is the Walkway that runs up the outside of the building. It provides a direct access to the swimming pool which means people don't have to come in through the school buildings to go to the hydrotherapy pool (although they still have to get the keys from Reception!)

The first thing you see when you come in the automatic doors is a stylish Welcome message. We are planning to put other things in the reception area - hopefully displays of art work for example.

Then you are in the new big reception area. We love the curving glass block walls! They let in a lot of light, make it look welcoming.

And it's not hard to find the office staff either. No more hunting around the back of the school to be let in!

Here we are - if you need anything, you can come see us here!

Now also in this area we have the new meeting room space. This is a very versatile space and large!

This can take up to 75 people at once, but can also be split into two separate meeting rooms. It has already been used all the time for large training groups, annual reviews, and multi-agency meetings.

Once you are allowed through the door (the Office staff have to let all visitors through) You are in the new area - and first thing you see is the Headteacher's Office.

... It's hidden away behind another curving wall of the glass. The texture is fascinating to all of us. Then you turn and look up the corridor and you see...

...the lovely wide corridors and curved walls that give the place a wonderful organic feel. In this area we have the new food technology area. That is the second door you can see on the right. All door are labeled and have a braille sign as well.

On the Left is the Deputy Heads office  - you can't see it in this picture.

Steve Buckley took this picture for us. New ovens, new fridges, new equipment and lots of space to move around in. Lessons in here are a real treat.

And when they are not cooking, they are in the new design technology room which is just up the corridor.

One of the DT Groups in action - they have been known to get so into their work in this new room that they forget to go to break! This room has new machinery, specialist saws and material stores.

Very impressive - and hopefully their work will be as well.

The long corridor links into the back of the block where Katharine Burgess and James Cainey have their classes and the entrance to the swimming pool and hydrotherapy.

This means for the first time that you can manage to get to the swimming pool without going outside!

They've also converted the old office into another meeting room and have made a lovely courtyard area that the room look out onto.

We like the calm water feature and it had a perfect spot for the wonderful sculpture Fosse Way Students helped to design and make with a visiting artist.

All in all we are very pleased with how things are progressing. At the moment the builders are working on the new staffroom and then on refurbishing what was the old staff room, art room and Design Technology Room.

We will post those developments as they happen!

May 4th 2006

Since the last update things progressed and as of May 2nd, we were allowed to move into the new building! And to say that we have been bowled over by how the new building looks would be an understatement. The Office is now installed in the new reception area.

March 22nd 2006

Since the last update, the new building is coming together with every day seeing something added. It really is looking very impressive with the last bits of the entrance path way being put down this morning.

Some of the staff have managed to sneak a peek at the new facilities and were very impressed. The walls are painted, doors are in and the place is full of lovely flowing lines that give the new building a wonderful feel. The carpets are going down any moment now and then it will be a lot of activity putting in all the facilities and the furniture. We're all very eager to get into the new buildings and all the pupils are looking forward to it as well!

February 10th 2006

Since the last update, things have been moving really quickly. The new building is close to completion and we are at the stage of choosing wall colours and ordering furniture and fittings. It is going to make a dramatic difference to the whole school!

For those of us who have been allowed a look around in there (complete with hard-hats and fluorescent jackets) we were impressed with the space and design of the new area. Not only they will be be functional and useful, but a really pleasant area to teach and learn in. Hopefully they will let us in with some camera's soon and we can let you have an update.

November 28th

In general premises news, people are starting to get used to the gates and door system. Just remember to wait until it has been opened by the office staff - then you can go through. The snow caused a lot of fun for the pupils (and a lot of headaches for Andy and Hugh!) and fortunately we didn't get snowed in this time.

It's full steam ahead on the building project in an effort to get the roof in place before the bad weather really settles in.

November 2005

Things are definitely moving along at a rapid pace with the new buildings, though a lot of it cannot be seen by staff and pupils as it is very securely sealed off from the rest of the school. But just to show us how things are progressing, Andy our Site Manager took a camera into the work zone to show how much has been going on.

Here you can see how much has actually been gutted out to expand the buildings. A great deal of this work goes on in the holidays and there is always a race against time to get things done before Staff and pupils return. After all, they wouldn't be too happy finding their staff room like that (and yes, that is the staff room that is just about boarded up! )

This next picture shows them seizing the opportunity to bring in the heavy machinery while there are no children in the schol - although we are sure the pupils would have been fascinated by the big crane that can lift practically whole roof structures into place.

We've also recently had a new security fencing installed, as well as security gates that operate on a code and intercom system. It means that no one can enter the school without having been seen on the monitors. The students are impressed by the monitors in reception and find it interesting that the Office staff can now see everything that is going on.

July 2005

Phase One of the Fosse Way School building development has begun with the addition of two new temporary classrooms (shown below) on the school playground for Tracey Snell's and Emily Smith's groups.

Tracey's old room has become the new temporary staffroom as sadly the old one will be bulldozed over the holidays, and Emily's old room will become the temporary School Office and the Headteachers Office while work goes on.

Students decided they were okay with the loss of playground space as the new five-a-side football pitch has just been built. This is something that they are all eagerly looking forward to using as soon as possible.