Demolition work starts
Demolition of cold, leaky classrooms is under way as Wesley Primary School enters the final phase of its $1.5 million makeover.
The Central Leader spoke to principal Rae Parkin last December about the Ministry of Education’s decision not to repair the deteriorated 1950s two-storey school block because of the high cost.
The ministry’s conclusion was partially based on the fact the decile 1 school has attracted fewer students over the past decade.
Following the decision students were moved into classroom prefabs, which were installed on the school grounds earlier this year.
Ms Parkin was pleased with the outcome, saying the prefabs provide a ‘‘lovely place of learning’’ for the children at the school.
Demolition of the old school building is taking place during the holiday break and the grounds are being cleared in preparation for a new administration block.
The admin block will include the office, the principal’s office, storage and resource room, Reading Recovery space and accounts and will cost around $340,000.
There will also be associated landscaping.
The work is set to be completed by October, acting principal Claire Edwards says.
‘‘It will be great to see this project completed,’’ she says.
‘‘At Wesley Primary we are focused on teaching and learning and providing our students with the best possible learning environment,’’ Ms Edwards says.