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Investing in 6th-form facilitiesRoyal openingManchester High School for Girlswelcomed Her Royal HighnessThe Princess Royal, to theSchool to officially open its newSixth Form Centre last month(September).Rachel Edwards, head of the Preparatory Department;Claire Hewitt, head mistress; and HRH The Princess RoyalDignitaries including The LordLieutenant and The Rt Worshipfulthe Lord Mayor of Manchester andher consort were in attendance atthis special ceremony along withguests from the School community.HRH The Princess Royal touredthe facilities of the Sixth FormCentre which include the 120seat Zochonis Lecture theatre,the Carole Nash Café Area,common room, ICT suite, threescience laboratories, classrooms,workspaces and offices. HerRoyal Highness spent timetalking to staff and A Leveland International BaccalaureateDiploma students beforeunveiling a plaque to mark theofficial opening of the building.In a short speech The PrincessRoyal said she appreciated theopportunity to return to MHSGto see how well the School iscontinuing its traditions and itsstrengths. Her Royal Highnessreferred to her role as Patronof Women into Science andEngineering and expressedgratitude for the School’sconsistent support of sciencesubjects. She commented onthe value of looking back andremembering why schools suchas Manchester High were startedand spoke about how well thecurrent pupils respond to thestrong traditions that werecreated in the very early days andthat still remain important today.Mrs Claire Hewitt, Head Mistress,said: “We were delighted andprivileged to welcome Her RoyalHighness The Princess Royal, toofficially open our new SixthForm Centre during our 140thanniversary year. When ManchesterHigh was founded in 1874, itoccupied two converted Victorianhouses in Portland Terrace. TheSchool has come a long waysince those early days, and wecontinue to develop our purposebuilt, state of the art facilities tobenefit successive generations ofManchester High students.”Mrs Hewitt said: “The newSixth Form Centre is an excitingdevelopment for the School and itwill offer our students everythingthat they need to gain maximumbenefit from their Sixth Form studiesand prepare for life at university.”Amanda Protheroe, head of mathematics,with HRH The Princess RoyalCommonwealth championopens centreThe Fulneck School, Yorkshire,Sixth Form centre, extensivelyrefurbished during the summerbreak, has been officiallyreopened by a CommonwealthGames gold medallist.Leeds-born gymnast Nile Wilson– who won a total of four medalsat the recent Glasgow games;two gold, one silver and a bronze– performed the honours.The school has invested £200,000in its Sixth Form centre, fillingit with state-of-the-art ITresources; including over 30new computers, three interactivewhiteboards, a 50-inch televisionand high-speed wireless internet.Its interior has also undergonesignificant changes, with newcarpets and furniture throughout.The walls feature a series ofgraphics designed to create arelaxing, positive atmosphere forthe pupils, including a number ofinspirational quotes.The centre’s common room –which has been fitted out with abrand new kitchen with breakfastbar – contains a mural of a forestscene covering an entire wall.In addition to the block’supdated aesthetics, its bathroomfacilities have also beencompletely refurbished.Fulneck School Principal,Deborah Newman, said: “Weare delighted with these newimprovements to our Sixth Formfacilities. Senior pupils can oftenfeel under pressure given theweight of decisions they makeabout their futures at this timein their lives. So, in addition tomodernising our provisions andupdating our infrastructure wehave tried to create a relaxingand positive atmosphere thatallows them to really thrive.Pictured: (From left) head of sixth form, Emma Nulty, head girl, Kara Farrar, principal,Deborah Newman, Commonwealth champion Nile Wilson and head boy, David DoldingNew £4.5m facilityBuilding work has been launched on a stunning new £4.5m SixthForm Centre for Solihull School that will transform teaching andlearning for Sixth Form pupils.David E J J Lloyd, Headmaster of the independent school for boys andgirls aged from 7 to 18, celebrated the occasion by cutting the firstsod on the state-of-the-art building on the Warwick Road campus inthe company of the main project parties.Kingswinford-based contractor Speller Metcalfe has been appointed bySolihull to build the facility, which aims to provide the perfect environmentfor developing independent learning and intellectual curiosity.Scheduled to open its door to pupils in September 2015, the fourfloorbuilding will include state-of-the-art teaching rooms and privatestudy areas incorporating the latest multimedia technology.The top floor will provide open-plan space for teaching, examinationsand social events, along with an external terrace garden withpanoramic views.The building will also be a model of sustainability, with high levelsof natural light and ventilation, low energy lighting, and an energyefficient heating system.The new Sixth Form Centre is being built on vacant land previouslyoccupied by the Old Gymnasium, and will be surrounded by the BushellHall, Mathematics and Science departments and the Sports Hall.New building projectsTwo building projects are set to transform St Benedict’s School,London – a new Sixth Form Centre and Art, Design & TechnologyBuilding and a purpose-built extension to the Junior School, totalinvestment being around £12million.Work began in mid-August on the Sixth Form/ADT project. The newbuilding will create a purpose-built space for the Sixth Form to studyand also relax and socialise. Art, Design and Technology will gain afit-for-purpose and inspiring new teaching and learning facility. Thesenew facilities should be ready for use by the end of 2015.The second project will follow on once the Sixth Form/ADT buildingis complete and will create a coherent identity for Early Years andJuniors in a single new building. Landscaping around the newbuildings will provide an improved whole school pupil entrance,improved external play areas, a new Nursery entrance and a relocatedSixth Form entrance.Headmaster Chris Cleugh said: “These projects are hugely exciting andwill ensure that the School offers the very best accommodation forteaching and learning. The decision demonstrates the commitmentof the Governors to lead a School that will continue to flourish in theyears ahead.”Pictured: Solihull School Headmaster David E J J Lloyd inspects the start of buildingwork on Solihull’s new £4.5m Sixth Form Centre in the company of contractors38 Buildings Buildings 39