Project Update 2

One Campus - Two Separate Schools

From the outset, the Trust Board has been quite clear that they are 100% committed to maintaining single gender education for our two primary schools; a vision that is strongly supported by Boys’ School Principal, Mr Peter Cassie and Girls’ School Principal, Ms Juliet Small. Each school will be maintained as a distinct entity with its own Principal, staff, curriculum and ethos, ensuring that the facilities meet the different educational needs of both boys and girls. Operationally and pastorally, each school will remain distinct and separate. The Master Plan for Shore Road is focused on meeting the changing needs of all our primary students, ensuring that both our boys and girls will benefit from new, world class teaching facilities.

The New Girls’ School

As can be seen in the preliminary design images, the new Girls’ School will be striking, taking advantage of the sloping site to create a completely unique, multi-level, terraced school with its own distinct entrance and presence on Shore Road.

The purpose-built, 19-classroom school will include a new integrated library and learning commons, with associated outdoor recreational and sporting areas for the girls, creating an outstanding environment focused on girls’ teaching and learning.

Girls’ School Principal, Ms Juliet Small is excited by the future, ‘It’s a rare opportunity for a Principal to lead the planning of a new school and I’m relishing every minute of it. In preparing the briefs for the architects, we took many opportunities to explore best teaching practice in both our own and other schools to ensure the final design would enhance the very best in future-focussed teaching and learning exclusively for girls. The preliminary designs indicate that our new school will be a welcoming, contemporary environment encouraging connectedness, collaboration and shared experiences. Our girls ‘were born to fly,’ I am so proud to be part of helping them achieve this!’

The new Specialist Facilities and Boys’ Senior School Building

Housed in one building but with a distinct separation between the two areas, the preliminary indicative images show an exciting new addition for Saint Kentigern. Spanning the area from the original Boys’ School library to the site of the current staffroom, the impressive new building will be built above and down the bank, facing out onto the upper field, juxtaposed to the Jubilee Sports Centre.

The Boys’ Senior School Classrooms

Catering for the specific needs of our boys in Years 7 &8, the 12 new Senior Boys’ classrooms and collaborative spaces will not only provide a purpose-built facility for our senior boys, but it will also release the current Senior School building to be refurbished for the Middle School.

Boys’ School Principal, Mr Peter Cassie said, ‘I am delighted to see our ideas for a new Senior School come to shape. We know we have true strength in our teaching and learning at the Boys’ School, but current facilities are no longer keeping pace. The new technology rich, flexible teaching and learning spaces being developed for our senior boys will allow for greater specialisation as we prepare them to make the important transition to their college years.’

‘But equally as exciting will be the refurbishment of the current Senior School classrooms to breathe new life into the Middle School. The growth in roll in Years 4-6 has meant the Middle School classrooms have been spread across the campus in recent years. Moving them to the current Senior School, once refurbished, will bring the entire Middle School into one location, allowing for greater collaboration for both students and staff within the syndicate, for the sharing of ideas and resources.’

‘As a Principal, I’m truly excited and grateful for the upgrade of facilities that will allow us to do what we do best, even better – deliver an outstanding teaching and learning programme where ‘every boy matters!’

Specialist Facilities

Whilst innovative at the time of their construction, the original specialist facilities at the Boys’ School have become outdated and no longer meet the needs of a changing school curriculum. The new Specialist Facilities provide significant new amenities for both our boys and our girls. All Specialist classes will be timetabled for access by both primary schools at separate times to maintain the integrity of Saint Kentigern’s single-gender teaching philosophy at primary level. The building will be linked to the new Girls’ School by a covered walkway, with a separate entrance for the girls.

Mr Cassie and Ms Small concur that the economy of building one set of facilities for use by both schools means even greater things can be achieved. Mr Cassie said, ‘This will be a centre of excellence for scientific, artistic (visual and performance), technology (food, hard and soft materials) study and learning, where design, creativity, confidence, and scientific and critical thinking will be explored, encouraged, and developed. Currently, both Saint Kentigern primary schools have well-developed programmes in these areas but bringing all specialist areas into new facilities under one roof will serve to allow each school to significantly enhance their offerings for each programme.’

Shore Road facilities available for timetabled access by both schools

To maximise the use of Saint Kentigern resources for the good of all our primary school students, in addition to the Specialist Facilities, careful timetabling will ensure each of the two schools has the benefit of separate and equitable access to the Sports Centre, turf, fields and the swimming pool.

Timeline

We are aiming for completion of the Girls’ School, Senior Boys’ classrooms and shared specialist classrooms by the start of Term 1, 2022. Over the coming months, Principals of both Primary Schools will be seeking input from the community on a range of aspects of the new facilities and look forward to your contributions.

If you have any questions or would like more information about the Phase 1 Projects, please send an email to masterplan@saintkentigern.com