National treasure and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough highlighted the importance of youth as he opened a sixth form building named in his family’s honour.
The naturalist, who has lived in Richmond since 1952, spoke of his pride at the opening of Orleans Park School’s new sixth form building, named the Attenborough building.
He also paid tribute to both the school’s pupils as well as his brother, Richard Attenborough, who died in August last year.
The much-celebrated film producer and director Lord Attenborough opened a building at Orleans Park in 1993.
Sir David said: “I am honoured and flattered this building should carry my family’s name and I am particularly thrilled it should carry my brother’s name.
“He died last year and I know when he opened the building, because we talked about it, what thrilled him the most way that you were taking seriously the arts.
“He would talk much more eloquently than me about how valuable that way of expressing yourself can be.”
Sir David, who describes Richmond as his “favourite place on Earth”, also provided a warning for budding student biologists or scientists in the packed hall.
He said: “We are dependent on the natural world and if the natural world is damaged, we are damaged – we can’t eat a mouthful that doesn’t come from the natural world.
“The very air we breathe comes from the natural world.
“The future is going to be tough but the better qualified you are, the better chance we have in determining what is going to happen in years to come.”
The £8.4m sixth form, funded by Richmond Council, will provide 250 places for year 12 and year 13 students.
Team GB rowing performance coach Sir David Tanner, an Orleans Park governor, said he was delighted by Sir David’s presence at the opening.
He said: “He has an affinity with young people and these occasions, in one way, are very simple but most people will remember what this was about.”
He added the uptake for places at the new sixth form had been “tremendous”.
The nature presenter was presented with gifts, including a cake, from the school’s head boy Theo Fletcher, 16, and head girl Charlotte Howe, also 16.
Charlotte said: “He is really down-to-earth and not what you would expect from someone so famous – he was really friendly.”
The sixth form centre includes a learning resource centre, a new hall, media suites, an art studio and plays host to A-level biology, physics and chemistry.
Headteacher Elaine Ball said: “We have always looked forward to being able to extend the excellent education we offer to beyond 16 and to improve the quality and variety of offer to the young people of Richmond.”
The opening brings the council’s spending on sixth form to more than £30m, including the £6.5m invested in a new sixth form centre at Christ’s School, Richmond.
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