Premises
We plan to open the new school in the former grammar school in Northbrook Road – an iconic building in a fantastic location close to the beach, sports facilities and open countryside.
Education Swanage is grateful that the Welfare Dwellings Trust, the owners of the site, intend to gift the building for free to be used as a new school, subject to planning approval by PDC.
Our site adviser at Partnerships for Schools, the funding arm of the Department for Education, visited with our two other DfE advisers on 3 November and we gave them a tour of the building.
The school is in very good condition with many of the original features remaining, including parquet and wooden floors and even a science lab. Over the years many of the classrooms have been divided into dormitories but it will be a simple matter to remove the partitions to open up bright and airy spaces with windows giving fine views over the town and hills. Of course, it needs major enlargement, redecoration and modernisation but the main structure itself appears sound and built to last.
We are now sketching out how the building will fit with our planned curriculum, and what facilities we will need, ready for the next stage of the school process. It will be wonderful to see the building resurrected as a school, but this time one that is open to all local children.