Bottisham Village College celebrates 80th birthday with official opening of new building
Generations of teachers and students from Bottisham Village College, Cambridgeshire, have reunited to celebrate the school’s 80th birthday with a special opening ceremony for its new £16.7 million building.
Principals past and present led the anniversary event which included the opening of its new Morris Wing teaching block and library, which was delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction.
Celebrations involved a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a family fun day, including live music from the Hadstock Silver Band, film showings and student performances.
This partnership project between Cambridgeshire County Council and Anglian Learning Trust involved a major extension to the school’s current facilities, including the brand new Morris Wing comprising 12 new classrooms, the Evans auditorium, named after the recently departed CEO Kate Evans, along with a dance studio, recording studio and a suite of practice rooms, which will all support the school’s strong arts ethos. A new bus park has also been provided.
Morgan Sindall Construction is nearing completion on a major refurbishment of the school’s current facilities and is on site delivering the last phase of upgrades, which involve the remodelling of the original 1937 school hall. The team is transforming the hall into a new community hub library, which will host workshops and aspirational talks.
The school also unveiled the new Henry Morris room for adult learning, which is named after the former Director of Education responsible for creating village colleges in Cambridgeshire.
Bob Ensch, Area Director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “It was a pleasure for Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure to be involved in such a memorable day for Bottisham Village College as it celebrates eight decades of serving the local community.
“We’re proud to have played a role in this exciting new chapter for Bottisham with the delivery of the Morris Wing. The new building provides a much-needed expansion for the school, creating an inspirational, first-class environment for their students to excel and reach their full potential.
“Working closely alongside the school, Cambridgeshire County Council and Anglian Learning Trust during this process has allowed us to create a world-class education centre that aligns with their ambitions for the future of Bottisham. We hope both students and teachers are delighted with their new building.”
Cllr Simon Bywater, Chairman of the Children and Young People Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We are really pleased with the expansion of Bottisham Village College which will provide much-needed extra classroom space and state of the art facilities for pupils for many years to come. This multi-million pound investment project is part of our continued commitment to supporting all children in Cambridgeshire to achieve their full potential in partnership with schools in the county. It is great to celebrate this on the day that the school marks its 80th birthday.”
Bottisham Village College Principal, Jenny Rankine, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the outcome of the building works and have very much enjoyed working with such a professional team.”
Morgan Sindall Construction is currently on-site at significant schemes across the East of England. In Suffolk, the company recently celebrated the successful completion of the new Pines Primary School. The £4.9 million project for Suffolk County Council was delivered on time and on budget.
- For more information about this news release please contact Steph Bocking at Influential on 0151 239 5000 or email bocking@thisisinfluential.com