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A new secondary school expansion that will help accommodate an extra 100 pupil places has been officially opened.
Built by Barnes Construction and designed by Concertus Design & Property Consultants, students and staff begun benefitting from the state-of-the-art, two-storey education block at Breckland School in Brandon at the start of last month.
To commemorate the occasion, students planted a time capsule depicting their lives, which will be opened by future generations at the school.
Jon Winn, principal at Breckland School, said: “It’s fair to say that conditions were starting to feel a little cramped at the school and we needed a bit more space and flexibility.
So, to open this new extension is fantastic news and one that students and staff are equally positive about.
“The popularity of the school has grown enormously in recent years, making this extension crucial.
“We are delighted that it allows us to offer an even broader and more aesthetic element to the curriculum.”
The work, which was funded by and delivered on behalf of Suffolk County Council, has paved the way for two new science laboratories, two language classrooms, a food and nutrition classroom, an activity studio and extensive external works.
Liz Harris, principal architectural designer at Concertus said: “We are thrilled with the high-quality outcome of the school expansion. The design helps to provide another positive learning environment for the school.
“We are honoured to have been part of helping deliver this new building and look forward to hearing how the students get on in their new setting.”
Mark Bailey, director at Barnes Construction added: “We were delighted to have been chosen to deliver the Breckland School expansion project and have been pleased to be able to select so many local Suffolk-based suppliers to assist us in achieving such a high-quality outcome.”
Rachel Hood, Cabinet Member for Education, SEND and Skills, said: “I am delighted that Suffolk County Council was able to fund this impressive new extension.
“Its additional space will make a significant difference to the daily lives of students and staff, as well as help to some extent in addressing the growing popularity of the school.”
The headteacher of Breckland School has spoken of his pride after the Brandon secondary school received a ‘Good’ rating by Ofsted.
Polite and considerate pupils, behaviour and a “well-considered” education programme all came in for praise following the inspection in November.
Jon Winn, principal at Breckland School, said: “We are delighted that the Ofsted inspectors praised the many positive things that we see on a day-to-day basis.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that we prepare students well for life beyond secondary education, and were particularly pleased that this was recognised.”
Ofsted inspectors found that pupils access a well-considered personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme, which makes them knowledgeable about diversity, equalities and how to keep safe in an age-appropriate way.
The inspection added: “Pupils are happy at Breckland School. Pupils are looked after well by staff, particularly their ‘mentors’ who they see every day.
“Pupils’ opinions and concerns are taken seriously [and] pupils are respectful to each other and to staff.”
Effective safeguarding and support for pupils with SEND were also highlighted with Mr Winn believing the report to be a reflection of everyone pulling in the right direction.
He explained: “We would like to pay tribute to everyone in our school community – all staff, students, parents and the wider community.
“We would also like to thank Unity Schools Partnership for all their support since we began working with them in 2021, and subsequently joined the trust in July last year.”
The school was last inspected in September 2017 when it also achieved a ‘Good’ rating.