Cash injection helps schools redevelop
‘‘The school was originally built for 700 students so our storm water, sewerage systems and so forth are all at maximum capacity.’’
It’s goodbye to leaky buildings and blocks from the 50s and 60s for two Waikato schools given a cash injection for property projects.
Cambridge High School has been given $9m by the Ministry of Education while Ngaruawahia High School has been given $8m.
Some of the money will go to brand new blocks but the rest is for refurbishments such as fixing leaky buildings or providing earthquake strengthening.
Roll growth is well and truly under way at Cambridge High School.
The exciting bit of the renovations, as principal Phil McCreery puts it, is getting a brand new block in place of a 1953 building.
‘‘The staff over there in the arts and the homeroom situation, and the transition department have sort of been hanging in there for redevelopments, so they’re going to get the best they could possibly hope for.’’
The new block will have space for about 200 more students and have the equivalent of seven new teaching spaces. But other work needs to be done before the the roll climbs to 1700.
‘‘The school was originally built for 700 students so our storm water, sewerage systems and so forth are all at maximum capacity now, and they’re going to be upgrading all those,’’ McCreery said.
The leaky buildings plague of the late 90s and early 2000s also affected school property, so work is needed on buildings including the library.
The new block will replace what is currently being used for arts, transition (such as vocational or Open Polytechnic courses), and for a homeroom area.
The school has started planning what kind of space it would want.
Because the project at Cambridge High is so large, the Minis- try of Education will manage it.
Teachers will be working on a design brief between now and the end of the year.
McCreery appreciated the ministry being proactive with school property and also appreciated the support of local MP Louise Upston.
The school’s long-term plan is to bring in more contextualised learning - allowing students to study subjects such as English and maths ‘‘in an environment that relates to the workplace’’.
The students would be ‘‘totally immersed’’ in their specialist area and could work in that zone all day.
Once work is complete at Ngaruawahia High, the other Waikato funding recipient, a wananga on the front of a new block will be visitors’ first impression of the school.
That will show the importance of Kingitana and Tainuitanga to the school, principal Chris Jarnet said.
Other projects will include demolishing an old block, refurbishing the technology block, re-roofing several blocks, and seismic strengthening for the gym.
Both schools appreciated the Ministry of Education’s support through the process. Construction on their projects is expected to start in 2018, Education Minister Hekia said in a statement.
‘‘Both schools have issues such as leaky buildings or classrooms that are old and in poor condition, so this will be welcome news for their communities,’’ she said. ’’As with all major redevelopments, the focus at both schools will be on providing flexible learning spaces that support an innovative learning environment.’’
The Waikato announcement is one of a series that have been made around the country, including a recent $9m redevelopment for Edgecumbe College in the Bay of Plenty.