Oldest and youngest in new school handover

The oldest paired up with the youngest at Newall Green High School as phase three of the newly-built school was completed and handed over, the first in the Council’s massive school building programme.

Drafted in to take part in the handover ceremony were Katie Wright, aged an amazing 102 years old, from Westfields sheltered housing project in Baguley and Alice Roberts, a respectable 94-years-old, from the Grange sheltered housing facility near to the school, accompanied by two of the school's youngest students, Megan Fisher and Sydney Bendelow, both aged 11.

All four took part in the ribbon cutting and a balloon release to officially open the new part of t he school.

The handover means that the new dining hall, school hall and science technology building are ready for use.

Work is proceeding on refurbishing the existing school facilities. The handover for that is planned for November this year.

The £18m project is part of Manchester's combined Building Schools for the Future (BSF) and Academies programme, with a £500m capital investment to rebuild or refurbish 32 schools. Seven of these will be specialist academies. The building programme began in 2006, with an expected completion date of September 2012.

There is a hint of Eden for students because the roof of the new covered courtyard at the school uses the same material as that used for the domes at the iconic Eden Project in Cornwall and also in the revamped Piccadilly Railway Station in Manchester.

Other unusual features at the new school are a learning resource centre on stilts with an open amphitheatre below it, and coloured cladding on the frontage of the school hall to show the different seasons, developed from ideas in art workshops for students working with an artist.

The project architects are the internationally-renowned Aedas.

The developers Balfour Beatty face the challenge of re-building the school while it remains fully functional. Temporary classrooms and offices have been built within the school boundary to house staff and students as building work progresses through several phases.

Headteacher Neil Wilson said: "This is part of the future of Wythenshawe. I am very pleased with the building so far and I know its going to continue to change lives and improve lives for the children here now and those who are not yet born."

The Executive Member for Children's Services, Councillor Sheila Newman, who attended the handover, said: "This has been a challenge for everyone - the developers, contractors, students, teachers and support staff. But it will all be well worth waiting for, as the newly-built and refurbished school is a key part of the regeneration of Wythenshawe."

She added: "As well as providing state-of-the-art facilities for the school, the local community will also benefit because there will be additional facilities available to them, including the main hall, the dining hall, the learning resource centre and the covered courtyard space. Local people already enjoy the use of the school's sports pitches, sports hall, gym and dance and drama studios."

Media contact:

Dave Hulme, 0161 234 4610 or Jane Lemon, 0161 234 3179