Spring 2011
www.yarmschool.org
Development
Update
Taking shape Steel frame gives glimpse of Yarm School’s exciting future
IV
2
DevelopmentUpdate IV
www.yarmschool.org
We’ve come a long way in a short space of time
Mr Dunn tightens the bolt on the last piece of the auditorium steel structure
The development has come a long way since the last update, when we reported on the demolition of the Dining Hall. The site has been transformed with the steel structure for the auditorium and the classrooms now being erected. The development is making exciting progress with the site landscape changing on a daily basis. As readers will remember, before Christmas we experienced severe weather and work on the development site ground to a halt. I have been delighted with the dedication Miller have shown to getting the project back on track: their workers were still on site up to Christmas Eve! Teachers, pupils and Governors have toured the development site, which created a real buzz of excitement around the School.
Last year, we successfully launched ‘Going for Gold’, our appeal aimed at achieving an extra special finish for the redevelopment project. I am delighted with the way the appeal is going, enabling us already to provide some wonderful ‘extras’ for the new facilities. This year, we are hosting a summer event at which we would like members of the school community, past and present, to join together to enjoy a variety of games, activities, music and much more. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have supported our ‘Going for Gold’ appeal by donating or through attending our events.
David M Dunn Headmaster
Early Years provision fast becoming reality The end of the riverside development is now in sight and preparation has begun for the next phase – the Nursery and Early School development. This will bring the Early School onto the same site as the Nursery to create a fantastic facility for our Early Years provision. The School owns the bungalow next to the Nursery and this will be demolished to make way for a substantial extension to the southern aspect of the White House. The two storey building will accommodate six large classrooms for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, a studio hall and a library.
The gardens around the Nursery and Early Years facility will be landscaped to provide an ideal play area with a wide range of equipment to facilitate investigation, exploration and learning through play. The movement of the Early Years classrooms will create space for further redevelopment of the Preparatory School site. We look forward to being able to demolish the old wooden classrooms! The Early School project will start this summer, with a completion date of Easter 2012.
An artist’s impression of how the Early Years facility will look
DevelopmentUpdate IV
www.yarmschool.org
Left: Yarm School’s redevelopment as seen from the sky! Top: artist’s impression of the atrium in the auditorium. Right: what the dance studio will look like.
A changing landscape The riverside development has started to take shape, with the steel structure being erected for both the auditorium and the classroom suite. The current phase of the build sees rapid and exciting changes on a daily basis. Over the February half term break steel for the auditorium roof was delivered to School at 5.00am
with a police escort due to the size of the load. The steel structure for the atrium is currently being constructed and is estimated to be completed by Easter. The entire building is looking extremely impressive. The classroom suite is weathertight and the internal walls have been erected, the electrics and under-floor heating have been fitted. Associated Architects have produced a stunning visual of how the theatre and the atrium will look once complete. To keep up to date with daily changes on the riverside development, log on to the school’s website and click ‘redevelopment’. A time-lapse camera captures daily photos and there is a blog to keep you up to date with the latest news and pictures.
Left: in the performance hall. Above: high specification exterior cladding of the auditorium.
3
4
DevelopmentUpdate IV
www.yarmschool.org
Great fun on our nature trail The eagerly-anticipated adventure trail at the Preparatory School was completed over half-term! The trail includes a bamboo arch, tunnel, net frame and a wooden bridge. It will be a fantastic resource for pupils to explore in their playtime and can be used for games lessons.
“I like the tunnel the best and the bamboo arch because you can run through them” – Ellie Pollock “The bridge is the best bit of the adventure trail because you can play games on it and bounce” – Mia Charnley “I love hiding in the tunnel as it is built into the ground. I also like lying on top of the tunnel when it is sunny” – Sol Kench
Sponsor a seat… The auditorium will be the perfect venue for hosting the School’s excellent dramatic productions, as well as exceptional music concerts. It is where all major school events will take place. Seating for audiences of up to 750 has created the unique opportunity for parents, past and present pupils, and friends of the school to mark their support of the development by sponsoring a seat. Sponsor a Seat leaflets are available from the School Office.
…leave your legacy
DevelopmentUpdate IV
www.yarmschool.org
Creating our own forest school Planning permission has been secured to construct a forest school in the grounds of the Friarage. A timber yurt will be used as a teaching space for pupils of all ages to investigate aspects of science and ecology. The Forest School will provide a safe woodland environment for pupils to explore and learn outside the traditional classroom. The facility will be used by pupils from Nursery to Sixth Form and will form a valuable resource for Outdoor Education, Eco
school initiatives and curricular subjects, such as Biology, Art and Geography. Researchers have detailed other significant benefits of a forest school, which enhance and facilitate personal and social development, lifelong learning, risk taking in a secure environment. For these reasons, the School was able to obtain a grant from Stockton Borough Council to contribute towards the project. Work will start on the forest school during the Easter break.
‘The best classroom and the widest cupboard is roofed only by the sky’ – Margaret Mcmillan
5
6
DevelopmentUpdate IV
www.yarmschool.org
What we could put in our time capsule… n n n n n n n
Yarm’s Dovecot lovingly restored Work on preserving one of the area’s oldest buildings, the Dovecot, is now nearing completion with the landscaping currently underway. The Dovecot has been in a very poor state of repair for many years, prior to the school locating to the site.
As part of the planning permission for redevelopment, Yarm School was required to preserve the building as a ruin, using the best possible match of stone and oak. In the floor of the Dovecot a time capsule will be buried with
n n
‘To sleep, perchance to dream’ – Hamlet. Surely the Dovecot's Tudor builders would pinch themselves and then applaud this English Heritage supervised transformation.
School memorabilia. The School Council are deciding the contents and have come up with some great ideas so far – see list. If you would like to suggest further items for the capsule please contact a member of the School Council.
n n n n n n n n n n n n n n
Uniform English money Whole school photograph House badges A school sports shirt CD of each year’s favourite music A watch stopped at burial time Staff photographs Newspaper from the day it is buried A school menu A little green book A pupil timetable A DVD of a recent drama production A poem about school life A map of Yarm High Street DVD of time lapse photos Textbooks School magazines and newsletters Mr Tate’s book A map of the world DVD of school life A jar of Yarm School honey A sealed test tube of air
DevelopmentUpdate IV
www.yarmschool.org
Appeal has topped £75,000 Thank you to members of the school community who have made a kind donation to our Going for Gold appeal. We have now raised over £75,000 through personal donations, business sponsorship and various Going for Gold initiatives. Mr S Calvert Mr & Mrs D M Dunn Mr C & Mrs M Edmundson Ms C Evans Rev Dr M & Mrs J Gilbertson Dr C A Gill Mr & Mrs H B Jenyns Mr & Mrs K Jones & family
Come and join
Dr & Mrs Langford Dr R J & Dr N B Miller Mr & Mrs S Park Mr & Mrs Petch Dr & Mrs R S Sagoo Mr & Mrs Sampson Dr & Mrs A Shyam-Sundar Amazon Shopping Link donors Demolition Derby donors Going for Gold Gala Concert donors S. James the Great Parochial Church Council Sodexo, and Yarm’s Got Talent donors
us on
ne Sunday 26 Jruthe 11am–4pm fo
Dovecot Festival Celebrating the official opening of the Dovecot – the area’s oldest building Something for everyone: H Music and drama performances H Sporting competitions H Bar-b-q, ice-cream, fruit smoothies, etc H Pupil events H View the redevelopment progress
7
Yarm Preparatory School Grammar School Lane Yarm TS15 9ES Email: prepschool@yarmschool.org Telephone: 01642 781447
Yarm School The Friarage Yarm TS15 9EJ Email: admin@yarmschool.org Telephone: 01642 786023
Yarm at Raventhorpe 96 Carmel Road North Darlington DL3 8JB Email: yar@yarmschool.org Telephone: 01325 463373
www.yarmschool.org