NEWS
SEND students get a sneak peek at their school of the future
their excitement about their new school.
The Valley School buildings had originally been designed to be used by a mainstream secondary school, which then became a SEND school in 1991. In addition to being built according to the latest guidelines from the Department for Education, the new special school also reflects Hertfordshire County Council’s wider commitment to sustainable, responsible growth in Hertfordshire.
Once built, the new school will be net zero carbon in operation, will generate its own electricity onsite and will only use electricity. It will also help to enhance local biodiversity through the installation of bat and bird boxes and green roofs.
A £15.8m project to build a new state-of-the-art school for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is taking shape within the grounds of the existing Valley School in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. In mid-October, selected pupils from the Valley School joined county councillors and project officers to get up close to the construction of their new school – which is due to be completed in the Autumn term next year (October 2023).
This substantial development forms part of Hertfordshire County Council’s planned investment in SEND, which equates to more than £50m over the next three years.
On the day, six pupils from the school mingled with county councillors who’d had a role in planning and allocating the funding required to invest in Stevenage’s new SEND school, as well as project officers and architects. The children pointed out the foundations of their new classrooms and shared
The overall presentation of the new, single-storey building will also be more in keeping with the local environment than the existing school. Its green roofs and sunken location in the shallow valley means that the building will blend into its natural surroundings.
The new purpose-built school has been designed through ongoing consultation with teaching staff, to meet the needs of the current Valley School pupils.
During the pandemic, classes had been grouped together in their school years; this was found to be advantageous to supporting the children more closely. This has now become a dominant design feature, with the year group pods situated around two central courtyards – each with their own toilets and areas for group work. There is also a high-ceilinged multi-use space the school can use for sports, dining and drama.
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https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/local-offer/media- library/documents/send-strategy-2022-25-pdf-415kb.pdf
Multi-award-winning school band launches its bid for further music success
A multi-award-winning Shropshire school band has launched its bid for further national music success.
Wrekin College’s Jazz Band and Concert Band are already in rehearsals to try and clinch yet another prestigious platinum award at the National Concert Band Festival.
The Jazz Band already has a hat-trick of the gongs while the school’s Concert Band who entered the festival for the first time in 2021/2 picked up its own first platinum award last year - the highest honour bestowed at the event which attracts some of the best bands from across the UK. Both ensembles will take to the stage later this term in the Oldham regional festival to try to qualify for the National finals which will give them the chance to add their fourth and second platinum awards to their accolades at next year’s final.
Director of Music at Wrekin, Simon Platford, said he felt very privileged to work with young musicians many of whom had just started out on their journey playing with ensembles and bands at the school. “The numerous skills needed to be a part of a band are so varied and are not solely musical skills either. Teamwork, reliability, and commitment are just as important as having instrumental skills. However, playing in a band can significantly boost a young person’s confidence and this raise in self- esteem, I fundamentally believe leads to more success across the board.” He added that it was a reminder of why more support was needed for music in schools nationally and more commitment to boosting GCSE and A-Level music numbers which Wrekin is championing. “Research has shown that learning to play a musical instrument can
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www.education-today.co.uk
enhance verbal memory, spatial reasoning, and literacy skills. Playing an instrument makes you use both sides of your brain, which strengthens memory power. It is beneficial to all children but we also need to ensure there is a pathway for our very talented and committed musicians to gain qualifications which could help them make more of the extensive opportunities in music.”
uwww.wrekincollege.com November 2022
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