Elizabeth College Foundation Newsletter April 2014

Elizabeth College Foundation March 2014

Progress Report

Contents Chairman’s Introduction

1

Thank You for your Donations 1

Maths Block Extension

Welcome to this latest edition of the Elizabeth College Foundation newsletter.

An enormous amount has been achieved by Elizabeth College in the last few years thanks to the support of the Foundation and its many and generous donors. This newsletter is intended to keep you up to date on the progress of the Foundation’s work, including the success of the 450th Anniversary Appeal and the Foundation’s future plans.

2

Tennis Court Area 2 Colborne Building Opening 3

Acorn House Reception Suite

3

Roll of Honour

4

Future Plans

4

Dead Donkeys

4

Building on the great success of the first (2007) Foundation Appeal, which successfully delivered the Sixth Form Centre, Acorn House Library, Beechwood all-weather pitch and the Robin Roussel Pavilion at the Memorial field, I am delighted at how generously members of the College community have supported the 450th Anniversary Appeal. Their support and donations have allowed the College to complete three significant and much needed projects in the College’s 450th anniversary year. Full details of these and what is still to be done are contained in the following pages. I hope you are pleased with what has been achieved and can share my pleasure in being part of the great educational establishment which is Elizabeth College.

Bruce Parker Foundation Chairman

Thank You for Your Donations Thanks to the enormous generosity of parents, former parents, Old Elizabethans and other members of the extended Elizabeth College family, the Elizabeth College Foundation 450th Anniversary Appeal has raised sufficient funds to achieve all of the Projects in phases 1 to 3 of the Foundation Development Plan, leaving just the longer term projects to be the subject of a future appeal.

Three much needed projects were opened in 2013, our special 450th anniversary year; the Refectory, the Performing Arts Suite and the new Early Years classroom at Acorn House. Further details of these and the remaining phase 3 projects, which will be developed in the next couple of years, are contained within the following pages.

Elizabeth College Foundation

Page 2 of 4

Maths Block Extension Those who pass Elizabeth College on a regular basis may have noticed that work has now started on site on the first of the phase 3 projects; an extension to the Maths Faculty. This core subject area is now housed in the former music block, which started life as a boarders’ dormitory.

The extension will be invisible from The Grange, sitting as it does behind the existing façade, and will square off the block at the first floor level. A complete reconfiguration of the rooms will provide a total of six maths classrooms plus associated office and storage facilities.

These dedicated classrooms will allow the most effective delivery of a subject which, with growing pupil numbers, is now taught in five sets in years 7 to 11.

Maths has also become an increasingly popular subject choice at AS and A level.

The contract for the construction of the extension to the building has been awarded to J.W. Rihoy & Son Ltd and work on the project will start in earnest during the Easter holidays. The schedule is being carefully managed to minimise the disruption to normal College Ground Floor First Floor operations; for example, noisy work will not take place during the exams period.

It is hoped that the construction will be complete in August to allow the newly enlarged Maths Faculty building to be in full use by the start of the next academic year. The new facilities will precipitate a number of other highly beneficial departmental moves as the Modern Foreign Languages Faculty relocates into the Ozanne building and the Social Sciences Faculty moves from its temporary location in the old Cable and Wireless building into the vacated Upland Road building.

Tennis Court Recreational Area The final project which has been made possible by the 450th Anniversary Appeal is the redevelopment of the tennis court area.

This invaluable space at the front of the main College building area is heavily utilised for a broad set of activities including break and lunch-time recreation, PE classes, CCF activities and as a supplementary car park for College meetings and events.

The functionality and appearance of the tennis court area will be greatly improved by redesigning the area, installing a new surface and more sympathetic fencing. The development of the tennis court area will require planning permission so work is in hand to submit an application. It is hoped that the development work will take place in 2016.

Elizabeth College Foundation

Page 3 of 4

Opening of the Colborne Building Foundress’s day, on 18 October 2013, saw the culmination of the Foundation 450th Anniversary Appeal flagship projects. Elizabeth College pupils watched as Richard Collas, the Bailiff of Guernsey and Old Elizabethan number 5699, performed the formal opening of the Colborne building.

March 2014

The building has been named in honour of Sir John Colborne, former Lt Governor of Guernsey, who was instrumental in the re-chartering of the College in 1824 and to all intents and purposes saved the College from an almost certain demise.

Previously the Geography department and before that the Gymnasium, the Colborne Building has been extended and converted to create excellent new facilities at the heart of the school. The newly added top floor contains the FG Manchester Refectory, providing a hot meal service to pupils at breakfast, break and lunch. Meals are freshly prepared on site using local ingredients where possible and in line with the College’s healthy food policy. The extensive menu, which changes daily on a three week cycle, provides a broad choice and already some favourites have been established by popular demand.

The ground and first floors of the Colborne Building house the Music department and the new multi-functional Performing Arts Studio. This flexible space comprises a drama studio and music rehearsal classroom which can be combined to a produce a sizeable performance area with roll-out tiered seating. Ideally located for College and public events with the refectory facilities above, this new facility provides much needed rehearsal space, an environment for smaller or informal performances and takes considerable pressure off the College Hall.

Acorn House Reception Suite The Elizabeth College Junior School at Acorn House continues to flourish. Children from 2½ to 7 years are taught in the pre-school and pre-prep departments and the success of the school means that classroom space is always in demand.

The strong support shown by donors to the 450th Anniversary appeal has enabled the construction of a new Early Years classroom at Acorn House, alongside the classroom built as a result of the 2007 Appeal. This has allowed the creation of a delightful and purpose built Early Years suite. The two Reception classrooms have been designed to support the Early Years Curriculum which encompasses both indoor and outdoor learning and open out onto the well-equipped playground area which is shared with the Acorn House Pre-school.

The new Reception classrooms have released two interconnected rooms which have now become separate PrePrep Library and Music Rooms. This additional curriculum space has significantly improved the educational provision for all pupils of Acorn House.

We were delighted to welcome Mrs Lynda Walker to Acorn House on Monday 4 November 2013 to see the new facilities. Mrs Walker, wife of Lt Governor Air Marshal Peter Walker, formally opened the new classroom in a small ceremony involving the Reception class children.

Elizabeth College Foundation

Page 4 of 4

Roll of Honour A list of the names of all of the donors to the 450th Anniversary Appeal has been prepared. It is intended that these names will be published in a bound book, illustrated with images of the projects which have been achieved as a result of the generosity of their donations.

In addition, a commemorative board of honour has now been installed in the FG Manchester Refectory showing the names of all of the major donors to the 450th Anniversary Appeal.

Future Plans for the Foundation Elizabeth College is determined to remain an outstanding school, delivering a broad education to pupils of all backgrounds. Ongoing pressure on funding and a desire to maintain fees at a reasonable level mean that the College is unable to fund capital projects from fee income and the situation is only likely to get worse as the States subsidy, currently £1,750 per upper school pupil per annum, will be severely reduced over the next five years.

The Elizabeth College Foundation was established to assist the College in: • provision of and improvement of facilities for the education and development of pupils and staff in all the Elizabeth College Schools; and • the awarding of bursaries and scholarships to students to assist in the furtherance of their education.

Beyond the success of the 450th Anniversary Appeal, the longer term objectives of the Foundation are likely to be the subject of a future appeal. These include: • the establishment of a bursary fund to allow Elizabeth College to maintain its long standing tradition of inclusivity and enable gifted and talented pupils from all walks of life to attend; and • complete renewal of the playing surface of the allweather pitch at the Memorial Field.

The Dead Donkey Club The Dead Donkey Club was established by the Elizabeth College Foundation to help extend the financial support the Foundation can provide to Elizabeth College in the medium and long term. The aims of The Dead Donkey Club are twofold; to provide entertainment for those Old Elizabethans and other supporters of the College who have made provision for the College to receive a bequest from their estate on their death and to raise valuable funds for the College in a painless manner.

The next club event will be a drinks reception at the Apothecaries’ Hall in London at 6pm on Tuesday 27 May. While primarily intended for UK based members or potential members of the club, this event is open to all. If you would like to come along to hear more about the club and meet existing members please contact Dot Carruthers in the College Foundation office for more details.

The Club has an active programme of well-attended social events which have recently included lunch in the FG Manchester Refectory, a supper and film night at a private cinema and a summer barbecue and croquet day.

If you have any questions about the Elizabeth College Foundation, or would like an opportunity to visit the new facilities made possible by the success of the Appeal please contact Dot Carruthers, Foundation Director tel 01481 728217 | email foundation@elizabethcollege.gg