Education

View gallery (total of 8 images)
advertisement

Fond farewell to Garth Hill school

By Mike Pyle
July 22, 2010

Pupils, staff and teachers celebrated the end of an era at Garth Hill College this week as the old school rang its bell for the final time.

Garth Hill College will start a new school year in a new building on its site off Bull Lane in September.

To mark the last day in the old building parents, children, teachers, former teachers and headmasters and people involved in the building of the state-of-the art new college came together for a ceremony on Tuesday, the last day of term.

All the school’s pupils sat out on the field to spell out Garth Hill 2010 and 500 balloons were released with the Garth Hill logo on one side and the logo of Mace Plus, the developer of the new school, on the other.

A photographer took a commemorative aerial photo of the occasion using a remote controlled helicopter.

Principal Keith Grainger said: “It was super but very emotional.

“We had the school’s third headteacher, Tom Jones, and another former head, Stan Turner, here, so there were three headteachers of the college here.

“It was lovely that former colleagues were able to join us.”

Veronica Strappa and David Ellis of architects Scott Brownrigg were presented with glasses with the inscription ‘Thank you for designing our wonderful new home’ and Alistair Kendall from Mace Plus was given a glass with the inscription ‘Thank you for building our wonderful new home’.

Anita Ackland, of the college’s Parent Teacher Association was also given a bunch of flowers.

Mr Grainger added: “She really led the management of the event. She worked very hard to make it possible.”

The school and Mace Plus also held a competition for pupils to build an accurate model of the new college.

The contest, entitled Garth’s Next Top Model, was launched in January and pupils designed and built their models in teams with the winners announced on Thursday, July 15.

Lara Hookings, design and technology coordinator at Garth Hill, said: “We set up this competition to mirror what happens in the real work of architecture, design and construction.

“Pupils had to manage a budget, request information from design partners and keep to tight deadlines.

“I am delighted by the creativity, teamwork and determination the pupils have shown.”

The winning team was called The Ambassadors and was made up of Jessica Kieser, Bradley Austin and Amiyesh Sahay.

Mr Kendall said: “The model produced by The Ambassadors was outstanding in every respect.

“I believe that I have been working with potential project managers of the future.”

- Leave your memories of Garth Hill College below or editorial@bracknellstandard.co.uk.

| Submit Comments | View Comments (4)

« Previous Story | Next Story »

Most recent user comments 4 of 4

Show 15 | 25 | 50 per page

Think the new school looks all right. As much as I enjoyed my time at Garth, anything is better than the worn out shell that currently exists!

Beef, Bracknell
28/07/2010 at 16:10

I was an old pupil 1975 1980 most of the time remember best teachers Ms Megan Ms Rance Ms Fellows great times with all but the new school has no atmosphere the fields have all gone many a time spent in the summer when sports were part of the daily routine it has no soul

tizzy caine, bracknell
23/07/2010 at 16:33

It saddens me to say it, but the new building looks hideous. It looks cheap and tacky, like so much of Bracknell and I am sure it will look dated in no time at all. It has no redeeming features. The fascia looks like it is made of plastic and has hideous colours that look like they were chosen from a 70s era pallet. Bracknell has got it oh so very wrong again.

R Jones
22/07/2010 at 21:12

Garth Hill College is an amazing school, Its teachers are there to support each and every student, I was a pupil there when the design work started, and I am thrilled to see the school go from strength to strength. It is very sad to think that the school bell has rung for the final time, but in other wise it is an exciting time, I for one have watched the new school building taking shape with great intrest. So from one ex garth pupil to the best school ever - May you all be very happy in the new building, and keep the Garth Spirit Growing... Well Done Garth!