Colleges’ project in plan stage

Blenheim’s two colleges are close to finalising a refreshed education brief for their co-location plans, as the Ministry of Education looks to start working on school designs later this year.

Described as one of New Zealand’s largest school projects, Marlborough Girls’ College and Marlborough Boys’ College are set for a $100 million move onto one site.

The colleges completed initial briefs to a 2017 deadline but those were based on a greenfield site, which was the ministry’s preferred option early on.

The schools revisited those briefs last year when a greenfield site was abandoned in favour of the Mclaughlan St site, currently housing the girls’ college and Bohally Intermediate School.

The education brief lays out the schools’ visions for teaching and learning in a new environment, which feeds into the ministry’s project brief, a ‘‘document that ultimately drives the design and construction of the project’’.

Ministry head of education infrastructure service Kim Shannon said the project brief was expected within the first half of this year.

‘‘[The project brief] works through the schools’ visions for teaching and learning and determines the property needs and arrangements that arise from that vision,’’ Shannon said.

‘‘This project will be one of our largest projects, and is particularly complex due to the need to minimise disruption to three operational schools throughout the construction phases.

‘‘Supporting the schools in continuing to deliver high quality education during the project remains a key priority for us.’’

Students were originally scheduled to start using the new campus in 2021 but this was pushed back by delays in finding the greenfield site, and changes to central government and college staff.

Marlborough Girls’ College principal Mary-jeanne Lynch said it might seem ‘‘very quiet from the community’s point of view’’ but a lot of planning work was going on behind the scenes.

The two colleges were finalising the education brief, she said.

From her experience as deputy principal of Avonside High School in Christchurch, which was successfully co-located with Shirley Boys’ School last year, Lynch said the key to colocation was good communication. ‘‘We worked really well with the boys’ college and with a team from the Ministry of Education, and I think that is the key to making this work.’’