Brand new PFI schools
Two new schools mark the start of transforming secondary education in Oldham
Two brand new state-of-the-art secondary schools opened their doors for the very first time in February 2008.
Just 22 months after building work started on the new Failsworth and The Radclyffe Schools on Brierley Avenue and Hunt Lane, Oldham, pupils and staff started taking advantage of the new modern, first-class facilities.
The completion of the multi-million pound schools, designed by architects ACP and built by the Kier Group plc, saw the Borough open its first new mainstream secondary schools since 1968 and followed the opening of its flagship secondary special New Bridge School in 2005.
The PFI project
The replacement of the schools was made possible as a result of a 25 year, £97 million pound schools Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract between Oldham Council and Academy Services Oldham Limited (a Kier Group plc and Dexia Public Finance Bank joint venture), £58 million pound of Government funding and a contribution from the Council.
The schools
Delivered on time and within budget the new Failsworth and The Radclyffe Schools are providing first class, modern and sustainable facilities that will strengthen the schools specialisms, inspire pupils and staff, and show just what can be achieved for other secondary schools through the Borough’s ambitious Building Schools for the Future programme.
The purpose built, innovative and creative designs of the new schools are a world away from the old split-site buildings located up to a mile apart. The buildings were ageing and were not as effective as they could be to meet the needs of today’s school curriculum.
The schools very much belong to the staff and students with them having the chance to contribute to the overall design and feel of the new buildings. Students wanted schools that did not look like conventional schools. At The Radclyffe pupils agreed that they wanted something that resembled the Trafford Centre, while Failsworth wanted a school that looked like a high-class business centre to help motivate and inspire pupils.
Find out what staff, students, governors and the Council think of the schools.
The buildings
Failsworth has four ‘wings’ over two floors on a long, narrow site, whilst The Radclyffe has been built over three floors, with seven ‘wings’ and a smaller overall footprint on the land.
The designs of both schools feature large multi-functional open-air covered atria and branching off from these are the different faculty wings of each school which have curved corridors, flat screen TVs and spiral staircases that create an open and modern feel. There are outside areas and landscaped courtyards for students to enjoy fresh air between lessons.
The physical layout of both schools will also contribute to students’ learning as many of the classrooms are designed to be flexible so they can meet the needs of the curriculum as it changes by accommodating different numbers of pupils and curriculum activities. For example, the drama studios in each school can be opened up to take in the school hall so that theatre productions can be professionally staged.
Flexible learning environments
There are also a variety of teaching and learning environments all intended to help the students get the most out of their learning with ICT suites in every faculty, and interactive whiteboards and other state of the art technology in every classroom. And for teachers there are dedicated rooms in each faculty for them to plan and prepare lessons and assess students’ work.
Each school also boasts a large number of practical rooms including food technology suites with large industrial cookers and domestic ovens, drama studios, dance studios, music recording studios and acoustically sealed music practice rooms, and pottery rooms to name but a few. At The Radclyffe School students can also take advantage of the brighter weather by performing drama in an outside amphitheatre.
Developing sporting talent
Active young people have access to high class sporting facilities at both schools. Failsworth, a specialist sports college, is one of the best centres for sport in Oldham with six tennis courts, astro-turf pitches, a swimming pool, two full size and one half size sports halls, two 60X40 grass pitches, and a projectile hall for archery and bowls. They also won a £1million bid in 2007 to develop fields opposite the school as a centre for football excellence from the Football Foundation. These fields will be used by pupils from September 2008.
The Radclyffe’s sports facilities are also impressive with a floodlit astro-turf pitch, two sports halls, a floodlit outdoor all-weather athletics centre, an indoor athletics centre, an all-weather cricket pitch, four tennis courts, two soccer pitches, a rugby pitch, basketball courts, netball courts, a fitness suite and a junior fitness gym.
Health and safety put first
The schools’ designs put the safety and well being of students and staff at the very front of school life. The new catering facilities at ‘Café Mojo’ and designated places for every student to eat their lunch mean that students are no longer able to leave school grounds during break times and lunch breaks.
The corridors they walk through between lessons are curved and funnelled to avoid congestion by filtering students down to classes and the extensive views of the corridors at all levels enable ‘passive supervision’ of students by teachers.
There are also lockers for every pupil and teacher and CCTV cameras across the schools to look after the well being of students’ and staff and protect the schools from damage.
Community benefits
The new facilities at The Radclyffe and Failsworth are enabling both schools to build stronger links with their local communities. Built with the local community in mind the classrooms can be closed off out of school hours so that the atria, social and leisure facilities can be made available for local people and community groups to use.
Take a look at the groundbreaking modern building design of The Radclyffe and Failsworth Schools for yourself now by viewing the photo gallery of each school.
You can also take a virtual tour of The Radclyffe School.