Estates Update – new paving area completed.

It was another busy summer for the Estates team. Their hard work and dedication were evident as they significantly upgraded the school and enabled various events. We are truly grateful for their efforts and want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate their invaluable contribution to our school community.

I am sure you will have noticed the new paving area. This now provides an elegant flat space with lighting for the nights already drawing in. Thank you to Andy Ratcliffe and our caretaker, Jonathan, for the fantastic job. We will continue paving over the October half- term, which will continue to the rear of Orwell House.

As part of my ongoing project to update classrooms, the team has done a fantastic job transforming the English classrooms into great learning spaces. This transformation is a physical change and a testament to our school’s commitment to providing a conducive learning environment. Each classroom has a new smart board, a paint job replicated in each room, new carpets, blinds, notice boards, and chairs; I am sure the Maths department will be excited to hear we will move onto their areas this year.

We installed a new shelter at the entrance of the Science areas. This area sees a lot of footfall and will help our pupils stay dry while queuing to enter the building. Thank you to our caretakers Julian, Brendan, and Steve, who erected this during the year’s hottest week.

Over the last two years, as a school, we have been committed to saving energy and lowering our carbon footprint, something we have managed to half, with lots of initiatives; these have led to significant savings, and we have been able to fund this summer’s LED lighting upgrade to the top floor of Orwell House. Each classroom now has a bright working area but can dim if required. All are working on sensors, stopping lights from being left on to help the school save energy.

Even during what seems like downtime, the team continues to impress. We had five weddings, a wellness festival, an antiques fair, the old boy’s reunions, and two results days, all of which required extensive preparation. The team worked tirelessly to ensure the building looked fantastic. A special thanks to all our cleaners who did an excellent job, especially considering the high usage of the school during these events. Groundsman Glen also had his work cut out with the ever-changing weather, from constant mowing in the first couple of weeks to continuous watering to keep the front of the school green.