Collis Primary School, in Teddington, plans to rebuild its 37-year-old infant and nursery block, with construction beginning early next year. This exciting new facility will be a significant upgrade to the current building and aid pupils’ education for many years to come.
The new structure is expected to have many benefits both for the pupils, teachers and the environment. It will be eco-friendly, warmer and modern; a massive improvement over the current infant and nursery block which is 37 years old. Furthermore, the block will require less maintenance and free up funds which can then be used on improving the greater learning experience of children at the school.
There will be 13 classrooms in this new building and the ‘old hall’ is also being rebuilt with more modern facilities. This hall is where children both eat their lunch, participate in PE lessons and partake in sports activities. The nursery is also having a much needed rebuild as it is as old as the infant section of the building. It is estimated that the building will cost approximately £5 - 6 million and will benefits hundreds of children in the future.
Construction is due to begin in January 2020 and is expected to take a year from start to finish. The senior management team is already planning on ways to minimise the disruption to pupils throughout the construction process. Kevin Hogston. the school’s headmaster, says that ‘the children’s playtime area will be changed as site access is required through the playground. We have solutions in place to deal with this.’
Pupils and staff will all benefit greatly from this modern update to the school site, which will aid both learning and teaching. Its eco-friendly and modern features offer the children an exciting new learning space and will have a great impact on the future of the school.
Toby Gwynne
