Praise for Bideford's £55m new school

By [lchurchill]

BIDEFORD College's £55 million new school has been short-listed for a national award.

The design of the new college, at its current site on Abbotsham Road, has reached the final of the Partnership for Schools' Sustainable Design awards.

Principal Veronica Matthews said she was delighted with the nomination.

She said: "Even reaching this stage of the competition confirms what those of us closely associated with the project already know — that this building is something very special.

"Born out of the ideas and creativity of a team of people who genuinely care about the future of education in Bideford, as well as making a national statement about environmental issues."

The college, which has 1,650 pupils, is being built while the school remains open and contractors Morgan Ashurst are helping the school to incorporate the building work into the curriculum.

The school has webcams showing the construction's progress and an onsite viewpoint so that the students can watch and learn as their new college progresses.

A virtual tour of the new building has also been created and appears below.

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The college's six new buildings are being built where some of the school's football pitches were.

The college is on schedule to move into these blocks in September 2010. Morgan Ashurst will then begin phase two and work on the buildings currently being used for lessons.

Miss Matthews added: "Everyone at the college is also impressed that there has been minimal disruption to teaching and learning — there has been some noise recently when they were fixing the floors but other than that the construction has not affected lessons.

"Staff and students are fascinated by the speed of the building process and the techniques being used.

"We are also pleased that so many of the workforce are local people — this project could not have come at a better time given the economic situation."

Mike Newby, the college's new build co-ordinator, has been impressed with the positive feedback from students, parents and teachers.

He said: "We have been working on this for two and a half years, but it has flown by and it is so good to see it coming to fruition.

"The next stage I'm looking forward to is when the first of the six blocks is complete — walking into it and seeing it exactly as we have planned — the reality will be exciting."

Visit www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk for a virtual tour of the new college.