GOOD progress is being made on Haygrove School's modern new building with the opening of the new premises now in sight.

The three-storey building will become the main focal point of the school, home to both teaching facilities and offices for staff.

The top floor will have eight purpose-built science teaching rooms, with the science department able to equip the new space with extra resources thanks to the Hinkley Connection Project Education Fund.

English and Modern Foreign Language teaching will move into the 11 bright and airy classrooms on the first floor; and on the ground floor, a new reception area will welcome visitors and provide offices for leadership and support staff.

Changing rooms for students to use when getting ready for PE lessons are part of the new facilities, alongside new toilet facilities on each floor.

Haygrove and the Department for Education appointed contractor, Caledonian Modular, have ensured the building has good disability access and has been designed to be environmentally efficient.

A large dining hall and kitchen facilities will form part of the ground floor, so, for the first time, students at Haygrove School will benefit from a dedicated dining space.

To the side of the main modular structure, and built using traditional steel-frame building techniques, is a new school hall which will have retractable ‘bleacher’ seating installed to enable performances to take place in a ‘theatre-style’ setting, and an additional activity room that will be home to a fitness suite furnished with a range of gym equipment.

Haygrove's headteacher Aaron Reid said: “The impact of the new building on the day to day experience of our students cannot be underestimated.

"The new classrooms are fantastic and so spacious, and it will be wonderful for our school to have a separate, dedicated dining facility as well as a brand new hall where we can gather our students together for assembly.

"I am excited about the creative opportunities that will arise with a new, purpose-built room for our dance and drama lessons to take place.

"There can be little doubt that this fabulous new building will transform the teaching and learning environment for our students.

"We had hoped for the move to take place during the final two weeks of the summer term, but the impact of the current pandemic, which has often made procuring materials challenging, along with lots of very windy weather means that a new timetable for moving is in the process of being agreed by the Department for Education.

"Parents will be notified before the end of the term when the move will be taking place.”