A £5.6 million project to provide a new building for Pyrford Church of England Primary School is almost complete. The school is the first of five to benefit from the Government’s Priority School Building Programme across Surrey and Kent. Pupils at the school have expressed their ‘excitement’ in the move, as Headteacher Kathryn Krynicki reveals that although the move has been challenging, it has also been tremendously gratifying.
“Having been chosen as the pilot school for the scheme, it has been really exciting! I am proud that Pyrford has been given the opportunity to pioneer this initiative, and I feel that we have paved the way for the future of schools in Britain.”
Mrs Krynicki explained the intricate procedure into the planning of the contemporary building, which comprises of 16 purpose-built classrooms and a multi-purpose hall. “In general, I had very minimal input into the design. The Portakabin Group set the size of the school in accordance with the number of pupils. Although it would have been ideal to have more than one hall, we would have never been able to afford this building at all without the Government’s help.”
The building was built offsite in York in January 2016. Mrs Krynicki went up to York in February to inspect the structure, although she found it hard to get a feel for it when it was on an industrial site in York! It was then dismantled like Lego bricks, and was transported bit by bit to Pyrford over the spring and summer.
Mrs Krynicki elucidated that the response from the students and staff has been amazing. Parents have been exceptionally supportive of the development, whereas the response from the local community has been mixed. Several members of the community believe that the traditional format of the school should have been kept, however Mrs Krynicki explained that it would’ve been too expensive to keep the long-established design.
“My favourite feature of our new school are the wide corridors, and the brightness which the large windows bring in. On a clear day, we can see the Surrey Hills and the beautiful countryside, where we are situated.”
The building has several sustainable features, such as the eco-friendly lightbulbs, which will last for more than 50 years. Additionally, the school now survives on only one boiler, compared to three in the past. However, the school came with no furniture, so much of the furniture inside the school is from the dilapidated 1960s school building, so it is not necessarily fit for purpose. “I was extremely tempted to increase the number of pupils at the school, however the money just wasn’t there. Furthermore, a bigger school would have had a greater impact on the local community, with increased traffic and noise. As a school, we need to ensure we have the local community on our side. I would say that the school meets the need of the immediate community.”
Mrs Krynicki explained that a grand opening is in the pipeline, with a date hopefully in Summer 2017, when all the demolition works are complete, and the building has been finished. The school are currently in negotiations with a special guest for the event.
In September 2012, Pyrford C of E Primary School embraced a new, smarter school uniform. Mrs Krynicki said that “the overall response was very good, with just a handful of complaints. To be honest, the old uniform was dated, poor quality and looked scruffy. In my opinion, this was also the issue with our old school buildings. The new structure is a much-needed change!”
The new construction marks the beginning of a new era for Pyrford Church of England Primary School. As the building is set to survive for more than 60 years, we wait to find out whether this innovative of pre-built school buildings is the future of all school buildings. This was an opportunity not to be missed by Pyrford, a £5.6 million project, fully funded by the government.
By James Stonehouse, St George's College Weybridge
