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By royal appointment

The Duke of Gloucester, who is the Queen’s cousin, received a very warm welcome from the pupils from Acklam Grange, Ormesby and Priory Woods Schools. He came to officially open new school buildings which were the first to open under the BSF programme last year.

 

 

The Duke began his visit at Acklam Grange and was greeted by dignitaries including the school’s chair of governors Hazel Pearson OBE, headteacher Andrea Crawshaw and Chief Executive of Middlesbrough Council, Ian Parker. During his tour of the school His Royal Highness was shown the school’s most unusual classroom - the Geodesic Dome and also learnt about the Meserani Project which has helped rebuild primary and secondary schools in Tanzania. The Duke also saw a dance performance before unveiling a plaque to formally open the school.

 

The Duke continued his tour to Ormesby - Priory Woods and was greeted by Bernadette Knill, headteacher of Priory Woods, and James Ruddock, chair of governors for Ormesby.

 

On his tour of Priory Woods HRH saw Priory Woods pupils using the school’s state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool. The pool has become a vital part of the school enabling pupils to gain water confidence, exercise and therapy for those with physical difficulties.

 

 

 

Keen photographer Michael Pearson, 17, a Priory Woods pupil who has attended the school since he was four, took photos of the visit.

 

To conclude his tour the Duke saw a joint singing performance by Ormesby and Priory Woods pupils before unveiling the plaque. The day was a long time in the planning and it lived up to everyone’s expectations as a really happy celebration.

 

 

 

 

 

September 2011 - Done and dusted

A year ago in September the first three schools in the BSF programme opened their doors for the very first time. Over the course of the year pupils from all three schools have watched the ground around their new school take shape.

At Ormesby and Priory Woods, work has been finished for some time and grounds have been left to mature. The rows and shrubs that have been planted around the school look beautiful in the summer sun.

Pupils at Ormesby have been making good use of the facilities which include the multi-use games area as well as street courts installed by the school. Priory Woods have also been developing their grounds, adding play equipment and shade to the sensory and play areas.Contractors are now finished on site and pupils are enjoying this wonderful new place to learn.

Acklam Grange isn’t far behind Ormesby and Priory Woods. Pupils are enjoying using their new multi-use games area and playing sports on the new pitches. The facilities are a big hit with the local community and sports clubs.

The long jump and cricket strip have just been completed ready for use very soon.

To the front of the school the car park and pupil drop area off were completed at Easter and since then parents have been able to drop pupils off within the safety of the school boundary.
 
In the next month work will be completed right across the site bringing a close to this two and a half year project.

The BSF programme is now past the midway point. Along with Ashdale, four of the eight schools within the BSF programme are now done and dusted.

 February 2011 - Acklam Grange site progress

The last remnants of the old school will be demolished in the next month. Materials from the old school are now being crushed and stockpiled to be used under the new car park. Reusing the old buildings is environmentally friendly as it reduces the level of material taken off site in lorries.

During Spring external car parking, paving and grassed areas will be completed on the site of the old school.

October 2010 - Wow, this is exciting!

These were the words of Headteacher John Bate as he addressed the new Year 7 students at Acklam Grange on the first day in their new school.

6th September was a historic day for education in Middlesbrough. The first three schools to be built under the Building Schools for the Future programme opened their doors to students for the very first time.

A camera crew from ITV’s North East Tonight spent the morning with student Abbie Lavender.  Arriving at the school gates, Abbie told the reporter that she was really excited at seeing the new school.

North East Tonight reported that over the summer the old Acklam Grange had closed and had been replaced by a brand new school. Reporter Jonny Blair said the new Acklam Grange was a "multi-million pound state of the art facility” that was part of “big changes happening in Middlesbrough”.

Headteacher John Bate was interviewed in the impressive internal courtyard, which was filling with students for the first time. He said the school was amazing, innovative and “even better than we imagined”.  On 4th October, the new school played host to its first open evening to give future students an idea of what school life in the new Acklam Grange would be like. Parents and children alike were impressed with the facilities on offer at the school, its layout and welcoming feeling.

The internal courtyard was a winner all round gaining comments such as ‘fantastic’ and that it is ‘safe and secure’ - a key feature of the design.  Parents also commented that it gave the school a village feel, a sentiment echoed by Mr Bate in his television interview.  He said the school is “designed as a campus: it feels like a college with the heart of a school.”

Student Abbie rounded off her filming with North East Tonight by saying the new school is “bigger and brighter” than the old one. This was the feeling of all 1,400 students and their teachers on the first day, as the sun shone down.

Above their heads, on top of the science block, the mini wind turbine was spinning, producing green energy for the school. Sitting in between the science and technology blocks is a geodesic dome, won in a national competition by a team of students.

July 2010 - Acklam Grange school progress

The buildings are now in the final phase of development and Willmott Dixon is concentrating on finishing the decoration and laying flooring to all areas.

Loose furniture deliveries have begun and work installing fixed furniture continues. The Learning Resource Centre (below) is almost ready for books to be put on shelves.

Curtains and lighting rigs are being installed in the drama areas.

Contractors will hand over the new school at the end of July when work will start on preparing for the new school year in September.

 June 2010 - Acklam Grange school progress

The project is progressing well and moving towards the completion date of the end of July. The external courtyard is being completed and planters are being installed. Furniture and floor coverings are being installed inside the building and decoration is taking place throughout the scheme.

Performance equipment and timber flooring are being installed in drama areas. The floor is being laid in the dining room and the kitchen is being installed. The students have chosen to name the school’s dining room The Oakleaf Caffè, giving it a cosmopolitan feel inspired by their love of Italian coffee houses!

In Design and Technology the new equipment has arrived and is being put into position in the classrooms. The woodwork, plastics and metalwork classrooms will have a range of manual and electrical tools to give students a varied experience.

 May 2010 - Acklam Grange school progress

Work is progressing well. Internally the rooms are now getting closer to the finished article, with heat, lights and carpets giving them a cosy feel.

With the more specialist trades now coming to site, areas such as the main hall and kitchen are rapidly taking shape. Now that the poor weather seems to be behind us, externally the courtyard is beginning to take shape, with planters being installed and the area being prepared for the hard landscaping.

March 2010 - Good practice for the future
Students at Acklam Grange have been given the opportunity to experience being interviewed for a job at Willmott Dixon.

The purpose of the interviews was to give Acklam Grange Year 11 students some experience of actual interview conditions, whether applying for Sixth form places or careers in the construction industry. In total 22 students, currently studying GCSE Resistant Materials, opted to take part. To add to the authenticity, the students were interviewed in the Willmott Dixon site offices by WDC staff members.

The interviews were split into 2 parts. Part 1 was a session with the commercial division, giving the students a briefing on financial aspects of the project, and querying their interest in and aptitude for a commercial career. Part 2 was a session with a production manager, providing similar briefing and questioning on production and health and safety aspects.

The students found the experience very helpful, as for most this was their first experience of an interview situation. A typical quote from one of the students was "It was really good and will help me for interviews in the future."

WD Construction Manager Simon Dovener said “The day certainly provided WDC staff with some back-to-basics interviewing experience and was hopefully as enjoyable and informative for the students as it was for us. It was noticeable how the students grew in confidence as the interviews progressed and we wish them all the best for the future.”

March 2010 - Progress from the construction site

With the outside of the buildings all but complete, work is now focussed on the interior of the new school. The heating has been turned on and the walls are being decorated. Soon the furniture will arrive and the school will move towards completion.

Work has started on the huge courtyard in the centre of the new school. Foundations are being poured for the timber posts that will hold up the roof over the walkway around the edge of the courtyard. Drainage works are also about to start so that the area is ready for the paving to be laid.

February 2010 - Acklam Grange School progress

Construction continues to move steadily towards the opening of the new school in September.

In December, the school team decided the colour scheme for each faculty in the new school and in the new year, the decorating commenced.

Each faculty will have a signature colour that will be included in the signage in corridors and followed through in the choice of floor colouring. The colours were chosen to make the school have a contemporary, fun feel that both staff and students will enjoy.

December 2009 -Acklam Grange School progress

All the external windows have now been fitted into the new building and the external render is also nearly complete on all the blocks.

Inside the building, the partition walls have been erected and are now being finished ready for decoration.

The site has played host to nearly every student and member of staff at the school since the start of works last November.

In the new year, work will begin on the external landscaping including the central courtyard and external classrooms, one of which the students are designing themselves.

November 2009 - Update from the construction site

The scaffolding is being removed section by section from the buildings, to reveal the finished façade of the building. The white render is broken up by different coloured panels for each block, chosen by the school and the chair of governors.  The glazing around the learning resource centre, which will give the first impression of the school is now in place. Staff and students alike are impressed by the look of the front of their school and excitement is already building for next year’s move into the finished building.

November 2009 - Middlesbrough BSF shortlisted for national award

Partnerships for Schools hold their Excellence in BSF Awards on an annual basis. This year, for the first time, Middlesbrough is in the running for a prize to be decided on 12th November. The work undertaken by the team at Acklam Grange School has been shortlisted in the category of Innovation in Student Engagement. Students have been involved in many aspects of the BSF project from having their say on the design to learning about the construction. A special group of students, called Team 2010, has been established to represent the pupils right up to the new school opening.
Nearly every student, including year 6 students before they started at the school, had the opportunity to tour the construction site to see their new school before it is complete.

October 2009 - Update from the construction site

Work is moving on inside the buildings with mechanical and electrical fit-out as well as internal walls. Many of the inside spaces are now partitioned off, giving a real sense of the layout of the finished building. On the outside of the buildings, the render is complete to the first block and continuing on the other blocks. The first section of sports pitch has been levelled and reseeded so it can grow in time for the new school opening in September 2010.

October 2009 - Building a sample classroom

Within the Acklam Grange building, Willmott Dixon is currently preparing a sample room that will be a true representative of a finished classroom. The sample room will be fitted with carpets, furniture and IT equipment including an interactive whiteboard, supplied by RM. The sample room that has been chosen is a typical classroom, located in Block D on the first floor. The room will be finished in October 2009. When complete, the sample classroom will be a full size example room to allow staff, students and visitors to chance to see a what their teaching spaces will be like almost a year in advance of the new school building opening. It also allows Willmott Dixon to test the ease of construction of the room and highlight any problems that may recur in other rooms.

October 2009 - Discover Middlesbrough schools

Three schools opened their doors to the public in September as part of the Council’s Discover Middlesbrough fortnight, which this year was focussed on architecture.

Ormesby kicked off the series of events on 8th September at their Year 6 open evening. Parents saw plans of the new school to help them make their choice for secondary education for their children.

Priory Woods held an open day offering parents and neighbours the opportunity to undertake classes in sculpture, animation and dance. Everyone had a fun-filled day that was topped off by a tour of the construction site.

Acklam Grange opened their doors to the community for a full 12 hours on 10th September, inviting people to discover what the new school has to offer. Students showcased their work and musical abilities and spoke to visitors about the new school. Over 100 people toured the construction site throughout the day. In the evening, the Acorn Centre ran a series of free exercise taster sessions to encourage the community to use the facility.

October 2009 - Students start a reminiscence project

The students to gain an insight into the history of the current school to develop a more in depth understanding that will help them as they contribute to the planning and design of their new school. So far they have researched the history of the school logo, key school events and held interviews with key people at the school.

 August 2009 - Update from the site

The five blocks are now in place, creating the large central courtyard that will be the social heart of the school. The blocks are all surrounded by scaffolding as the brick and block work continues. Rendering has begun on Block D and the first section of the sports field has been seeded. Sprinklers have been installed in some of the blocks and the roofs are almost complete.

In the next month, work to install the windows and rooflights will start. The school has chosen the colours for the panels on the outside of the building and started to think about colours and signage for inside. The new school will open in September 2010.

July 2009 - Students capture their thoughts in poetry

Year 7 students from Ormesby and Acklam Grange schools have worked with performance poet Paul Cookson to create poems about their new schools under the banner of ‘new beginnings’. Paul spent the day teaching students about how poetry can be formed and helping them to transform their thoughts and feelings about moving into the new schools into the written word. Paul and all the students thoroughly enjoyed their day and Paul was impressed with the students’ ability to reflect on their school experiences to date whilst also looking forward to a new beginning.

May 2009 - Steel structure complete at Acklam Grange School

Work to erect the steel structure for the new Acklam Grange School has been completed. Students and staff at the school can now get an idea of the size of their new building and Willmott Dixon are set to hold a competition for students to guess how many bolts are holding the steel structure together.

View progress photos from the site.

April 2009 - Acklam Grange’s Team 2010 leave their mark

Acklam Grange School's Team 2010 is a group of pupils that represent all the school's pupils on Building Schools for the Future matters. They work under the banner of 'our school, our future', and will give the pupil's view on a range of issues such as what students want in the school's external landscape and what the school uniform should look like.

On 23rd April, Team 2010 became the first students to see their new school from inside the site boundaries when they went on the tour of the construction site. They marked their place in history by signing their names on the steel frame in the entrance area of the building.  Team 2010 will be keeping everybody up-to-date with their blog on the Acklam Grange BSF page of the Middlesbrough Council website.

February 2009 - Head Boy and Head Girl cut the first turf at Acklam Grange

On 5th February 2009, guests gathered in the snow to celebrate the start of works at Ackam Grange School. John Bate, the school headteacher, chaired the event and describe the day as a ‘symbolic moment’ and ‘an exciting milestone in the school’s history’. Speeches were heard from the school’s Chair of Governors Hazel Pearson OBE, Councillor Mike Carr, Willmott Dixon’s Deputy Managing Director Anthony Dillon and RM’s Bid Manager Tim Downie.

All spoke about the great opportunity that the new school presents for pupils now and in the future and everyone involved is looking forward to the team effort that will make the plans a reality. Head Boy Paul Davis, Head Girl Abigail Bell and the Chair of Governors Hazel Pearson, then braved the weather and went outside to proudly cut the first turf. They were supported for the photo by Anthony Dillon, Cllr Mike Carr, Tim Downie and John Bate plus the diggers in the background!

January 2009 - Acklam Grange construction moves on

The temporary construction haul road that will be used to access the site throughout the works is now complete. It is over 1km long and runs from Mandale roundabout into the site compound near the Acorn Centre.

Construction of the building commenced this month and will continue into February with work on the building’s foundations.

January 2009 - Staff take inspiration from school visit

On 27th January, staff from Acklam Grange, Ormesby and Priory Woods Schools, accompanied by the BSF Team, visited two schools in Leicestershire – Castle Rock mainstream school and Forest Way Special School. The team were impressed with the use of natural light at Castle Rock, particularly in the library and were inspired by the excellent facilities and warm feeling of Forest Way School. The Forest Way headteacher explained how they had achieved significant levels of fundraising to enhance the building.

January 2009 - Students and staff walk through the new Acklam Grange School

On 9th January, Acklam Grange School in partnership with the City Learning Centre launched an interactive 3D virtual image of the new school based in the BSF plans. The school is contained on an island in the computer game Second Life and is accessible by invitation only.

Through the virtual school, staff and students can walk through the new school 18 months before it is built to help with way finding and making decisions on furniture and where to place CCTV cameras.

Creating a virtual school from plans before the school has been created is believed to be a world first and it is hoped that virtual schools will be developed for the other BSF schemes.

November 2008 - Work has commenced at Acklam Grange School

On 18th November, work commenced on the construction of the temporary access road from Mandale roundabout into the Acklam Grange School site. Once it is complete, the access road will ensure that no construction traffic enters the site via the school gates. Whilst the access road is being constructed, the site compound will be set up from the Heythrop Drive entrance to the school. This will occur for a four-week period only, which will end on 20th December. Construction of the new school building will start in the New Year.

Acklam Grange School is the first BSF school to commence construction in Middlesbrough and also in the Tees Valley. To make this major milestone, a start of works ceremony will be held in the New Year giving students and guests the opportunity to celebrate hard work to date and to look forward to the exciting construction period.

October 2008 - Work on first school due to commence

Following planning approval and contract signature in early November, work will start on the first school to be built, Acklam Grange. The first element of work, that will run up to Christmas, will be to set up the site compound, which includes fencing off the site of the new school so that it is separate from the existing school and installing the temporary access road for construction traffic that will run from Mandale Road roundabout directly into the back of the site. The contractor will ensure the site is secure at all times and residents will be provided with a contact number in case any issues occur. 

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