Students will be able to eat and rest in a ‘better environment’ following the opening of The King’s School’s new dining hall.
The school had secured a significant sum of money from housing developments in the town to improve the facilities and provide more seating for pupils to eat and relax in.
Headteacher Rob Gammon said there had been ‘significant strain’ on the school’s essential facilities due to the increasing number of students.
Back in June last year, when the plans were submitted, Laurence Evans, the school’s business manager, said space was at a ‘premium’ for students during break and lunchtimes.
The plans also included a new caretaker’s facility and storage.
Proposals also included a reconstruction of the existing canopy, improvements to the main entrance and landscaping.
Mr Gammon said: “We decided to expand our dining hall to allow for more seating and a better environment for students to dine and rest in.
“We also wanted to create an outside space that students would enjoy, and provide a focal point for the school.
“We have been delighted with the result and the impact on the school has been tremendous.
“Students now have a much improved internal environment, and we have provided a significant amount of external ‘greening’ of the site and rest areas.
“We continue to develop spaces for students to use which reflect the values, ethos and high standards at The King’s School.”
Mr Gammon thanked Otter Garden Centre for donating plants for outside the canteen, Grainge Architects for its design, and Nevada Construction for completing the project on time, despite the poor weather conditions over the winter.
The new extension follows recent improvements to site security, new buildings and modernising the toilets.
Mr Gammon added: “We look forward to being able to use the beautiful environment for students to enhance learning beyond the classroom.”
He said the school was looking forward to sharing the impact with the community when it invites visitors to the site for events such as parents’ evenings, and the arts and technology evening planned for June.
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